A Villainous Twist
by Eimana
Summary: All Might never lost the Slime Villain upon his meet up with Midoriya Izuku. Bakugou never needed rescue, All Might never witnessed Izuku's potential as a true hero and thus never went to apologize to the boy for his misguided words. And Shigaraki Tomura had been witness to the crushing words the Number One Hero relayed to the desperate Deku. Villain!Deku
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Boku no Hero Academia does not belong to me, nor will it ever belong to me.

 **Warning:** Rated T, though it might go up.

 **A/N:** So... *coughs* Yeah... new story? Yay? I just got into the My Hero Academia fandom and after 3 months of no internet and having writer's block on my other stories... I decided to write something for BNHA. The idea came from some villain Izuku fanart I saw on Pinterest and... well, it escalated from there and I ended up with this.

It's not a self insert! Nor does it contain OCs as main characters! It isn't even time travel!

This is completely new territory for me to be honest, so I hope this will go well.

Pairings for this story is unknown and undecided, though I'm leaning towards BakuDeku maybe? Nothing is set, however. Might turn out to be a gen fic like many of my others anyways. Probably...

Anyways! I hope you enjoy this little twist I prepared for you~

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 **Chapter 1  
**

The only way Midoriya Izuku could describe that fateful day was crushing, tragic and life-changing. The day in which his faith and ideals were put to the test, only to fail miserably in the face of the truth.

It had been a Friday and the day had started normal enough. If anything, by the hero vs villain fight he got to witness featuring Mt. Lady and Kamui Woods (scribbling furiously down their abilities and fighting prowess into his Hero Notebook), the day seemed to be looking up for the most part, especially since he knew today they would be discussing their future in his school.

As Izuku entered his classroom, the students ignored his existence, as was per usual, his quirkless status rendering him invisible to the eyes of his peers. He was unsure if he liked the silent treatment he got day in and day out, as opposed to the constant bullying he used to get, but alas, he had to make do. The life which Izuku had led up until that point had been a lonely one, his mother the only support he ever got. And even from her, that support was limited. After all, despite her encouragements, she never once believed in his dreams. She did not trust him to turn them into reality.

Eventually, she would be right.

But as of that point in time, Izuku still held tightly to his dreams of becoming a hero, to help people, despite the harsh words others would tell him, trying to discourage him from seeking the path of heroics. After all, it was unheard of for a quirkless person to ever pursue such an impossible career. If he was so keen on helping people, he could always join the police force. They too were heroes in their own right.

But Izuku did not wish to be just a mere assistant, keeping the people out of the way while the heroes did the protecting. He wanted to actively participate in the salvation of the world, much like All Might, his number one hero.

But no one saw what Izuku's true wish was. They believed him to be foolish, overambitious, an attention seeker. Almost as if he looked down upon everyone with their quirks, degrading them to nothing more than a powerless civilian like himself. The truth was quite simple, however. He did not want to be a hero for the sake of fame, but for what the name represented. A fearless individual, rushing headfirst into danger to save the innocent at all cost.

But no one understood, _wanted_ to understand. It was Izuku's constant clinging to that horrid dream, his unwillingness to understand what it truly meant for Izuku which drove one Bakugou Katsuki insane. And today too, Izuku was setting himself under the spotlight, as his ex-friend rose his hand up alongside his, wishing to apply for U.A. It pissed the blond off, wished nothing more than to destroy those absurd notions this useless, quirkless nerd wished for.

"The best heroes out there, well… They showed greatness even as students." Katsuki held the burned notebook of Izuku's in his hand, the expression on the boy's face a desperate one as he hovered the destroyed item over the window.

This… THIS coward wanted to be a hero? When he could barely save himself?

"I'll be the first and **only** hero from this crappy public middle school!"

The notebook fell to the ground and plopped into the fountain, drenching it in water.

"If you think you'll get a quirk in your next life… Go take a swan dive off the roof!"

Izuku felt anger rise into his chest at Katsuki's cruel words. It was always him who put him in his place, always him who encouraged and condemned his suffering. If not for Bakugou Katsuki, maybe Izuku's life wouldn't have been such a depressing one. However, fate chose to make the explosive boy a constant in Izuku's life, giving no peace to his tormented soul.

As the formerly nice day slowly turned sour, things went from bad, to worse to eventually horrid.

He would be swallowed by a slime like substance, a villain which was ready to suffocate him, bringing him face to face with his idol, saving him from danger. All Might's fist created a shockwave strong enough to push the villain away from his body, locking the monster into bottled containers, as not to escape. All Might was quick to leave, easily signing his broken notebook before making his way to the skies.

However, after such disheartening words from his childhood friend and bully, he needed to hear what his Hero thought of his dream, to have All Might give him hope, that he could become a hero despite what everyone said! Even if he did not have a quirk...

All Might's weakened form, however, left him in a state of shock, slowly shaking his foundation of beliefs, his world crumbling underneath his feet. This… was his hero? He listened to the heartbreaking story of how All Might became what he was now, that his hero was no longer this undefeatable beacon he had thought him to be. That even him, if caught in the wrong circumstances, would crumble underneath evil.

But worst of all in that day were the words which came out of the skeletal form of his hero's silhouette, further turning everything he had held onto, every ounce of hope he had stored into his body, into nothing.

"It's not wrong to dream. However, you need to be realistic kid…"

Izuku barely registered as All Might left his presence, the only words echoing through his mind repeating like a broken record.

 _I can't become a Hero. All Might said so._

 _I can't become a Hero. All Might said so._

 _I can't become a Hero. All Might said so._

Kacchan had been right. His mother had been right. His doctor had been right. Everyone had been right!

Izuku could never pursue the path of heroism.

The words exchanged between Izuku and All Might, however, were not left unheard. It had been a mere coincidence that Shigaraku Tomura had been in the building for scouting purposes, the roof of the building having an incredible sight over the city. It was painfully obvious the boy had sought approval from his idol, even if it was a mere lie. And instead of saving the boy from his own emotional damnation, All Might had been responsible for putting the final nail in the boy's coffin.

The smile that adorned Shigaraki behind the hand which hid the majority of his face was a truly frightening one. It just proved Shigaraki further that the hero system was doomed, to begin with as the world could never be salvaged by those who called themselves righteous.

He would teach the boy of the cruelty the world possessed. That not everything was as black and white as society liked to present. And eventually, when this boy was ready, he would reintroduce him to All Might once more and let him gaze upon another failure of his heroism.

 **A Villainous Twist**

Day's passed since Izuku met All Might and had his dreams and hopes completely crushed. He had days to contemplate and ponder the Number One Hero's words, finding no fault in what he had said. There no denying it anymore, Izuku simply did not have the strength to believe in the impossible no longer. Since birth, he was destined to be nothing but useless Deku. Who knows, maybe that's what his real name should have been from the beginning instead of Izuku. Even his mother made mistakes…

Each day in school was dull and colorless, his class not bothering him and Bakugou Katsuki ignoring his existence for a change.

Izuku looked at the bare walls of his room, his desk unusually clean, no action figures decorating the furniture. It had been a painful decision to make, but a necessary one nonetheless. Looking at All Might's silhouette every corner of his room reminded him of his dream, reminded him of what he once aspired to be before those hopes were turned into dust.

Despite his room appearing far larger than normal after the cleanup of his hero merchandise, he felt claustrophobic and suffocated as he lay on his bed. He needed to get out of its constraints, least he died from lack of oxygen.

Izuku ran quickly out of his house and into the open, a hasty goodbye to his mother as he made his way out and onto the unknown streets. After relentlessly running without any direction, he finally stopped as he gazed upon the littered beach, a testament to humanity's carelessness and cruelty. And it was as he gazed upon the polluted sand that he came face to face with a broken figure.

His hair was white, though it did seem to carry a bluish hue, his skin was scarred and uneven, an unhealthy sight to Izuku. This man looked anything but trusty, someone you ought to avoid and yet he could not help but be drawn to the man as he stared right back at him with curious eyes.

"What would you do to possess a quirk, Midoriya Izuku." His voice sounded strained as if his vocal cords were barely ever used. However, that wasn't what Izuku focused on, no. It was the implication of the sentence which caught his attention.

"What…?"

"I can bestow you with a quirk. You need only follow me and reject hero society." His words rang loudly in Izuku's ears.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Shigaraki Tomura. I am the leader of the League of Villains."

League of Villains? He had never heard of anything like that… And he would be aware of most criminal syndicates which existed in Japan as he always kept a close watch on hero society. One of the many preparations he did in his free time in order to fulfill his dream… or well… former dream. However, what the man was implicating was outrageous and went against all of Izuku's beliefs.

You were either born with or without a quirk. There was no giving or getting quirks!

"I would never join villains even if I wouldn't be quirkless anymore!" Izuku shouted with vigor at the heinous man. His world might have been destroyed and trampled to mere rubles, but that did not change the goodness he still held in his heart. To become a nuisance, a threat to society merely so that he could possess a quirk would never satisfy Izuku.

The raged and crazy look which crossed Shigaraki's features turned the blood in Izuku's veins run cold.

"Can't you see that this society you are trying to protect needs to be crushed! All Might failed to save you so why should you feel obligated to protect this world in return!?" The man was much closer to him, his hand reaching to touch Izuku but not quite doing so.

Deku's eyebrows were furrowed as he tried to decipher the meaning of the villain's words. All Might had not failed in saving him! On the contrary, he had done his job splendidly.

"No! He did fail to save you! To save you from your own desperation!"

Izuku's eyes were blown wide.

"How…"

"Think Midoriya Izuku! This world has treated you as nothing but dirt underneath its shoes trampled and stomped on repeatedly by everyone you once sought recognition from…" His words were piercing his heart, leading the boy to clutch the clothes above his heart.

"What do you know!" He screamed back, trying to resist the poisonous words.

"Born quirkless and helpless but bestowed with such big dreams and ideals. Why should you be the one stuck as a nobody, while your friend, what was his name again… ah, Bakugou Katsuki… That's right… When it is him that seems to possess everything you ever wished for, unjustly so. He is more of a villain than a hero, leading you to the brink of desperation with constant bullying!"

"Stop… Stop talking!"

His words were hitting far too close home. Midoriya Izuku was a good person. A person who wished to protect and save. But even he sometimes, couldn't help the dark thoughts which crossed his mind in his lonely and sad moments. It made him feel awful afterward for thinking such dark thoughts!

Kacchan was admirable and great, his cause just! Yes… he was cruel to Izuku, but that did not mean he didn't deserve his quirk!

No one deserved to be born quirkless like him!

 _But did I deserve to be born quirkless?_

Izuku caught his thoughts, looking more and more damned by the moment. His dreams were gone, swept away in the wind. Why was this villain trying to crush the last bit of Izuku's foundation, to destroy his beliefs along with his dreams as he pointed out, one after the other, negative feelings and thoughts Izuku had desperately tried to ignore.

"Please stop…"

Shigaraki Tomura smiled at the boy.

"Think, Izuku-kun… Think not of what your dream is, nor what is morally wrong or right in this world. Instead, contemplate what you truly desire. What and who you truly wish to be. A quirkless nobody with dreams to never come to fruition, or someone who can actually make an impact in this rotten world!"

Izuku watched a mist of black appear behind the creepy man as he took a few steps back, disappearing into the darkness of the mist, mouthing to the boy a last "think" before he vanished.

Deku stood alone, his eyes directed at the disastrous beach, though his eyes were unseeing. The words of Shigaraki lay heavily in his soul, his offer igniting a desire he had no idea he possessed. Could he truly be able to get a quirk? He had never heard of a quirk transfer to be possible. Was he simply lying? But then what would he gain from a quirkless, nameless child as him? He held absolutely no value to this world, both to the heroic as well as the villainous side.

Did he truly want to cast aside the beliefs he had built since he was a toddler for a mere chance to become… something more than just Deku?

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 **A/N:** I tried my best to keep the characters... well, in character lol. I don't know if I succeeded or not but I sure do hope so. Thanks for reading and please leave your thoughts behind! Reviews are a writer's best form of motivation :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Boku no Hero Academia does not belong to me, nor will it ever belong to me.

 **Warning:** Rated T, though it might go up.

 **A/N:** First of all, thanks to everyone for following, favoring and reviewing on the first chapter! It makes me truly happy that you've enjoyed it so much :D

Here I present you the second chapter of A Villainous Twist, and as always, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

There wasn't a day that he did not think about what Shigaraki Tomura had told him. Midoriya Izuku was at war with himself, trying to decipher what he truly wanted. The notion of becoming a villain made him almost physically sick, but at the same time… the way Shigaraki had approached him, how he had offered him to be something he could only dream of being, and for what reason? It made him pause and think, much like the man had wished him to.

Deku was someone useless. There was no way Shigaraki could ever gain anything from him. Absolutely nothing! The only reason Izuku could think of as to why he would offer him something as valuable as a quirk, was because he wanted to help him. Because villains, in the end, weren't the evil beings the world tried to portray them. Though Izuku had been obsessed with heroes his entire life, he had looked into villains almost just as much.

Each time a villain was captured, he would look into their background, their quirk, and the reason why they had done the things that they had, of course, only if the information was available online. What he had noticed but had turned a blind eye on for each of those individuals was, almost every single one of them had had a tragic, depressing past. A past which had led them to their breaking point, becoming what they had become.

Izuku had no doubt that Shigaraki was one of those people, who had lived a difficult life, eventually leading him to be a villain. And in turn, he reached out his hand to Izuku, as he too, had had a life truly not worth living, with far too many hardships for his young age.

And it seemed like those hardships would never end, solely because he was quirkless and would forever be quirkless… unless he joined Shigaraki's League of Villains.

"Izuku, I noticed that you removed your All Might posters and figures from your room," his mother started as they ate dinner together in silence. He looked up to Inko startled that she brought it up. A sad smile adorned her face as she looked at her son.

"I'm sure it was a hard decision to make Izuku, but I'll be proud of you no matter if you become a hero or not. I am glad you are moving forward with your life." Izuku's vision started to get blurry as tears filled his eyes, his mother not hesitating to rise from the table to go and hug her son. "I'm sorry Izu-chan, she whispered softly.

"I'm sorry that you weren't born with a quirk."

The rest of the dinner was spent in silence, for the most part, his mother sometimes adding in a comment such as "Just because you decided not to be a hero doesn't mean you can't continue admiring All Might…" and the like. The words cut like a knife, each time his mother brought up the decision he had made.

After what felt like an eternity, Izuku finally returned to his room, though it was difficult to think of it as his anymore, a former shell of what it once was. The lights were turned off and he did not bother to turn them on again.

Maybe the decision would have been easier for Izuku to make if his room wasn't bare. Maybe if the All Might posters had still been hanging on his walls he wouldn't have come to this conclusion. Maybe if his mother hadn't looked so happy of Izuku's choice to abandon the path of heroism, the stakes wouldn't have tilted to the other side of the scale. If she had tried to encourage him despite how futile it was for Izuku, none of this would have happened.

Izuku slid down the door as he hugged his knees, thick tears flowing down his cheeks.

Why was it that of all the people that surrounded him, of all the people he loved and admired, not one of them thought to help him become something more than just a Deku. Why was it a villain that had decided to shed some light into his dark life!?

Why… why of all the heroes this world possessed, none of them attempted to save him, not even the hero number one.

Was he that unworthy of salvation?

No, he wasn't… After all, it may not have been a hero, but at least one person was trying to save him from a life of desperation. Maybe Shigaraki was right. Maybe this society was truly wrong and doomed. He knew that the hero society wasn't a perfect one, that villains existed because of the heroes and vice versa. But only now was he beginning to grasp how those two fueled each other's existence. And how the heroes of this society were pushing for him to become something he didn't want to be.

Izuku wiped his tears, feeling defeated by the world.

It had always been impossible for Izuku to become a hero. This society had outright rejected him since the age of four, since he got his cursed toes scanned, sealing his fate as forever quirkless. When he was playing hero with kids his age, he always was forced to play the villain. He was always the one playing the bad guy, chasing them, no matter how much he wanted to play the hero. The kids would promise him that next time, next time he could play hero.

He never did.

"A villain suits you much better Deku!" Kacchan would tell him.

"You will always lose against me and I will always win against you. Just like a true hero!" His smile was big and full of cheer. Kacchan's happiest smile seemed always the cruelest in Izuku's eyes.

"Heroes always win!"

A lifeless chuckle escaped his lips.

Deku had always come out as the loser in every aspect of life. Society never wanted him to become a hero. Tried its most to remind him day in and day out that that was a path he could never partake in.

A villain in turn…

In front of Izuku, three roads lay before him.

The first path was lit my luminous lights, blinding to look at, surrounded by greenery and life. A beautiful road to walk on… and blocked by an impossibly high wall made of glass. A path he could see and yearn, but never walk on. It was the road of heroics, the road he would have wanted to walk on, but would never be given the chance to do so.

The path in the middle, on the other hand, was surrounded by a grey atmosphere, an uneven road with numerous twists and turns, a path doubtlessly difficult to walk on. The dull road promised him a life lower than that of the average person, his quirkless status would be met with prejudice and hatred no matter where he went. It was the life he was leading right now, alone and bullied with just his mother as comfort. And even her support would find an end at some point, would leave Izuku alone in a world he was already feeling bitter about.

The last road… It was shrouded in darkness, a path he could barely see where it would lead and what it would bring him. It was the complete opposite to the heroic road he so wished to walk on, a path he could not see but could doubtlessly follow. It didn't promise him happiness, nor did it promise him pain.

With the paths laid bare to him, it was time Izuku finally made a choice. Continue as he had till now, alone and starved for something he would never get, or step into an unknown world, turn his life 180 degrees and become someone completely different.

Take the safe path or risk everything he had?

That night, Midoriya Izuku finally made a decision.

Following that day, he made his way to the polluted beach right after school, hoping that Shigaraki would appear once more like he did in their first encounter.

"Have you come to a decision?"

On the third day of his trip to the beach, the villain he had been looking for finally appeared in a heap of black mist. Unlike the first time, his face was covered by a severed hand, multiple others holding on to his body. It terrified Izuku but he did not budge. This was the decision he had come to. He had seen no other way out of the pain his heart was enduring. He was willing to risk all he has known, his body, his morals, his dreams, everything… It was time that he finally saved himself.

Funny how he had wished to save others when it was him who needed salvation the most.

He swallowed hard as he tried to get the words out of his mouth, looking Shigaraki straight on.

"I have…"

Shigaraki's one visible eye widened in glee, sending shivers down Izuku's back. This… This man was the one who believed in him deserving of salvation? Izuku grit his teeth, a bitter smile on his lips.

The world truly wished for him to take this path.

"Then com…" before Shigaraki could complete that sentence, however, Izuku interrupted.

"On one condition!"

Shigaraki remained silent, Izuku taking it as his cue to continue.

"You can't force me to kill anyone. I know hurting others… will be inevitable," and that part of being a villain didn't bother Izuku as much. As a hero, you would also need to hurt the villains in order to save the day. Violence was one part both jobs had in common. "And I will refuse to hurt innocents, I will never be that kind of villain. However, no matter if innocent or guilty, I will never kill anyone, not ever."

Izuku was willing to risk everything, that was true. But he was not ready to give up his sanity… not yet, hopefully not ever.

The dark look Shigaraki was throwing at Izuku was deathly, a hateful gaze. It frightened Izuku, but he stood his ground. Being frightened was something Izuku was quite familiar with. After all, Katsuki had made sure he understood fear quite well.

"Sensei will decide on the condition…" Shigaraki declared.

Izuku had no clue who this sensei was, however, he simply nodded as Shigaraki turned to the black portal, which Izuku had speculated to be some type of teleportation quirk. Izuku did not follow Shigaraki as the man disappeared behind the dark gate. It reminded him of the path he had decided to take. The roads he had laid before himself had been imaginary at that time… this one… this road though wasn't. He couldn't believe he was being forced to walk this darkened road physically… If he went inside it, he would be sealing the deal. He would become a villain, there was no turning back.

His feet felt heavy, but he forced himself to walk forward. Each step was slow and unsteady. It felt like an eternity till he reached the warp gate, his whole body shaking, tears threatening to fall. Taking a deep breath, Izuku plunged into the darkness. This was his choice. This was what he had chosen to ease the pain which clenched his heart.

When he stepped into the portal, a weird sensation engulfed him as he shifted through dimensions. He had thought this to be Shigaraki's quirk but was proven wrong as he came face to face with a man made out of the black mist, a figure far more fitting for the quirk he had experienced.

"Hello, Midoriya-kun. We haven't had the pleasure to meet face to face yet. My name is Kurogiri." His tone was polite, his body slightly bowed as he introduced himself.

Izuku faltered a bit in his words, taken aback by this man's politeness and proper appearance.

"N…Nice to meet you, Kurogiri-san!"

Silence filled the room after their initial greeting, leading Izuku to look around the room. It looked like a bar, with Kurogiri acting as the bartender. The seats were all empty and though the room looked well maintained, didn't seem like it was visited very often.

"Where is Shigaraki-san?" His voice sounded very timid, it was obvious Izuku felt extremely uncomfortable standing like so in the middle of the bar.

"He went to see the master and inform him of your arrival," Kurogiri replied politely while he polished a glass between his misty hands. Izuku observed interested as Kurogiri moved behind the counter, lifting items, polishing them, before he started preparing some drinks. His body was made completely out of mist, however, it seemed like he had no trouble touching anything solid and nothing seemed to go through him.

Before he knew it, Izuku slipped into his old habit of mumbling information and theories, this time, his subject of interest being Kurogiri's quirk as well as bodily form.

"Does this mean that despite that it looks like he possesses a body made out of mist, he is primarily solid and therefore is not immune against physical attacks, while one would initially think would go through him? However, his quirk is a teleportation type, meaning he can easily control and warp space, which would in theory also apply to his body as I assume the gates that he makes are made out of the same mist, which would, in turn, give him the ability to phase through objects. Does this mean that he is able to control the solidity of his body? And does he need to be conscious of what he touches and what he doesn't?"

"Astute observation, Midoriya-kun," Kurogiri replied, having listened in into Izuku's almost incomprehensible mumbles. Midoriya jumped out of his thought train, appearing much like a deer caught in headlights.

"Oh… um… I apologize Kurogiri-san, I didn't mean to be rude." Izuku had assumed that Kurogiri would be offended by his habit of analyzing the quirks others possessed, but instead, the older man decided to amuse Izuku by answering some of the questions he had stated while in his 'trance'.

"My body is most of the time intangible and I do have to make a constant effort to remind myself of my solidity while touching objects." It shocked Izuku that the man decided to help him understand the quirk he possessed better, people usually very defensive regarding their quirk, especially when it was Izuku doing the analyzing.

"Oh, it's the opposite of what I assumed." He said shyly, a tiny smile gracing his lips.

However, before the pleasant conversation could continue further, the back door of the bar opened, Shigaraki standing between the frames as he searched for Izuku.

"You took your time to arrive."

Izuku fidgeted with his fingers before he replied nervously "It was a difficult decision I had to make…"

Shigaraki stared at Izuku for a few moments, his eyes narrowing before he accepted Izuku's statement and continued to speak.

"Sensei is ready to see you. Follow me, sensei doesn't have a lot of time on his hands." Once again Shigaraki turned and walked forwards without waiting for Izuku's reply nor confirmation. Izuku, in turn, quickly followed the creepy boy, having a feeling that this Sensei of his did not like waiting.

Kurogiri tiled his misty head as a form of goodbye, continuing his job at that bar.

The hallway to Sensei's room was a short one, before he knew it he found himself in a darkened room with an ominous man sitting in a large chair, Shigaraki standing beside him. The man's face was covered in a weird mask, encasing his neck as well as hiding his features without fault, making Izuku wonder why he wore it. Was it some kind of support item to enhance his quirk? However, Izuku's attention did not linger long on the man's weird mask. What stuck out the most to him was this man's overall statue, how he felt intimidated by him simply sitting there, his mere presence demanding respect.

Izuku swallowed a thick ball of saliva, already feeling nervous around this man.

"I assume you are Midoriya Izuku of which Shikaraki-kun has told me about?" Izuku's body went rigid, his arms glued to his sides as he looked at the man, knowing that he did not want to disappoint this man, or anger him in any form. The man which Shigaraki called Sensei and Kurogiri Master. Izuku had a feeling that it would be him responsible for the changes he was sure to experience as a villain.

"Y…Yes!"

"I've been told you were born quirkless, Midoriya-kun."

"Y…yes…" Izuku's eyes fell to the ground, a dejected expression taking over his features. His lack of quirk affected him deeply, that much was clear to the evil mastermind. The boy was vulnerable, moldable. Shigaraki had chosen well.

"Midoriya-kun. If you wish so, as long as you follow Shigaraki without fault, I can give you your quirk." Izuku slowly raised his head, watched the man with an unbelievably hopeful expression, his heart hammering in his chest.

"My… quirk…" His choice of words was quite peculiar. The man wasn't giving him a quirk… he was giving him his quirk.

If the mask didn't hide All For One's features from sight, Izuku would have been able to see the smirk which blossomed on his face.

Izuku was mere moments from getting the one thing he had lacked his entire life. And it was this man which would be fulfilling the wish he never dared to state, having thought that his dream of ever developing a quirk was even more foolish than his wish to become a hero.

Here. At this moment. Izuku was minutes away from no longer being useless.

Mere minutes from becoming part of something truly evil.

* * *

 **A/N:** All for one is described as an intimidating villain, someone straight out of nightmares. In the anime and manga, it was described that his mere presence made people feel like they had already died.

However, in this chapter, as you might have read, Izuku doesn't feel quite that frightened. Certainly not to death. The reason for that is that All for one is an ally in Izuku's eyes, and vice versa, therefore there is no maliciousness between them. So the only thing Izuku's feels towards All for one is intimidation and a need to show his respect to him.

Now that I've explained that, thanks to all for reading! Ill be excitedly waiting to hear your thoughts!

Cya~


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Boku no Hero Academia does not belong to me, nor will it ever belong to me.

 **Warning:** Rated T, though it might go up.

 **A/N:** After rigorously working on this chapter, I am finally done! Though just a fair warning, there is mention of suicide, so anyone with weak knees, don't read any further.

Without further ado, enjoy~

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

When Shigaraki came to him with a request, the last thing he expected of him to ask was for him to prepare a quirk to gift to someone quirkless. Shimura Tenko was a boy which All For One had doubtlessly taken in because of the devastation it would bring All Might. But he couldn't deny that he had grown, in a way, fond of the awkward boy whose hand he had reached out to take. Figurately speaking, of course.

Shigaraki rarely ever asked anything from him. At most he would request a Nomu to cause some mayhem, but most of the time, he lay dormant, locked up in his own thoughts and plans, trying to execute them himself, trying to make him proud.

It was for those reasons that All For One would have given the quirk Shigaraki requested to the new addition one way or another, but listening to the conclusion as to why the boy was willing to offer someone such a generous gift in the first place exhilarated him.

A boy failed to be rescued by All Might's words, ending up in the hands of evil.

To think that his charge would be executing a plan so similar to his own to crush All Might's will was something which pleased the true leader of the League of Villains extremely. Shigaraki was already growing up to be the perfect successor and he couldn't be prouder of him.

So of course, to reward Shigaraki properly for his genial plan, it wasn't just any quirk he would be searching for the boy. It needed to be something which would put the boy in a high position to the League of Villains, a quirk powerful enough to ensure the boy's loyalty for such a generous gift… but also a quirk which would render the boy dependant on Shigaraki.

"Shigaraki, what do you know of the boy you want to take in?"

Shigaraki looked at him through the computer screen bewildered that All For One would be interested in Midoriya Izuku. As far as he knew, his Sensei had already agreed to give the boy a quirk and frankly, he couldn't care less what quirk he gave him so long as it would be useful to the League in any way. The purpose of the boy wasn't to be powerful but to fall from grace and make All Might that the boy's descent to hell was all his fault.

But then again, considering he would be handing off a quirk on the first place, an act Shigaraki knew his Sensei did very rarely (he had yet to witness him give a quirk to another person unless it was for the purpose of creating another Nomu), maybe he wanted to be assured that the power would not land on the wrong hands.

Shigaraki knew he was risking a lot by having made that offer to a child which had so desperately aspired to be a damnable hero. It made Shigaraki shake in rage just thinking about those foolish kids which dreamed of the heroics. He simply couldn't understand why anyone would wish to become something as disgusting, as fake and flawed!

And Midoriya Izuku's former wish would surely cause problems in his choice to join the League of Villains, let alone become the kind of villain Shigaraki wished him to be. Even if he decided to join, he could always have a change of heart, running away the second he got his quirk to alert the police or some other hero. It would spell a world of troubles for his league and would give the boy a chance to become a proper hero with a quirk in his disposition. He would have created a nuisance for himself instead of an asset.

He would need to keep a very close eye on Midoriya Izuku, especially after the initial transfer, as that scenario was sure to occur. But he was willing to take the risk, a daring move on the imaginary chess board he so liked to play on, in order to crush every ounce of heroic morality out of the boy's body and mold him into a true villain, loyal to him and his beliefs. He would make the boy see the cruelty of the world and that no hero could ever hope to better the world, most of all All Might.

"Kurogiri, tell Sensei what you've found out about the boy." Shigaraki turned to the only other true member of the League of Villains. The man made out of mist did not hesitate to fulfill the request of his leader, turning to the computer as he faced his master.

"The boy seems to have lived a pitiful life up until now. He has been bullied for almost his entire life, most of the encounters taking place with his childhood friend, Bakugou Katsuki, who seems to excel in every aspect of life, unlike Midoriya. With what I've observed and gathered, his childhood friend would have been a better fit in our ranks as he shows various traits of a villain, and his quirk is extremely powerful, while Midoriya seems to disperse signs of incredible heroics.

Bakugou seems to have no qualms hurting others and he certainly doesn't seem afraid to use his powers for the purpose of killing so long as it benefits him. I've even witnessed him angrily shout death threats to fellow students and the only thing keeping him from doing so is the law and his wish to become a hero himself. It is beyond my understanding why the kid would like to be a hero when he seems to not fit the agenda type of heroism at all.

Midoriya, on the other hand, is extremely timid and shy. He doesn't own any friend, mainly because he is quirkless but also because of the students fear Bakugou's wrath. He seems to possess a hero complex and is stated to have jumped often in front of danger to help others in need. Of course, those feats were mostly ignored and met with snide remarks. In the end, it only caused the boy more harm than good.

He seems to have an unhealthy obsession with All Might," at that information, Shigaraki scoffed, "which I believe, only fueled the hero complex he possesses. However, after All Might's initial rejection, the boy seems to have gotten desperate and dangerously depressed. It would not surprise me if he intended to commit suicide in the near future. The rejection he keeps getting from everyone surrounding him makes it easier for us to mold him as he's already starting to reject hero society.

Combined with Shigaraki-san's seeds of doubt that he planted into his head, it won't be an impossible task to turn him completely to us, though he still seems to have an unholy amount of goodness in his heart." Kurogiri was always very thorough with his research, his ability to appear everywhere and anytime so long as he knew the exact location made spying much easier and in turn information gathering. Of course, he had also been forced to question some of the students with the help of a villain which possessed hypnosis as a quirk to get a more thorough background check.

He had even stepped inside Midoriya's room multiple times when the boy had been in school, had witnessed the changes it had gone through after Shigaraki had told him about the encounter he had seen between Midoriya and All Might.

Each report Kurogiri had relayed to Shigaraki about the boy and his changes had overjoyed the younger of the two and had encouraged Shigaraki even further to execute his plan of inviting the boy in their mids. It had been fortunate when they had seen the boy walk aimlessly through the streets, leading them to meet him on the wretched beach and state their offer.

All For One seemed to nod at this information, even further interested in the boy which Shigaraki had chosen to take in his care. He had a general idea of what the boy was like and the difficulties he would present to Shigaraki once he was forced to deal with Midoriya on a day to day basis. In a way, Izuku reminded him a lot of his once quirkless brother, rejected by everyone and still trying to help even though nobody wanted him to. All For One had been his brother's only ally, had even gone as far as to search through countless of quirks just to find the perfect one for his brother to possess and grow. However, he had been mistaken regarding his brother's loyalty as he turned against him and the power he had gifted him still haunting him to this day, heir after heir.

He did not wish for a similar scenario to repeat with Shigaraki's chosen one. He was cautious of whom he gave quirks and the level of power it should be. This child would, without doubt, be a challenge to Shigaraki's leadership and test him on many levels. Furthermore, his lack of social skills would make it extremely difficult to sympathize with Izuku, as it was surely support the boy craved. The goal was to make Izuku dependent on Shigaraki, for the boy to overlook all the morally wrong actions the League of Villains would partake in under his command, to consider Shigaraki his world much like Shigaraki saw All For One as his.

Of course, All For One would be lending a hand in this initial project, and already had a vague idea of what he wanted the quirk of the boy to be like. As of that moment, he did not possess any quirk which he deemed right for their soon to be villain, which put him in a difficult position.

Of course, there was also the option that Midoriya would refuse the request to join entirely and eventually his search for a quirk would turn futile, but All For One was sure that the boy would at least consider and attempt to join them in the beginning, the information Kurogiri provided him telling as much. Afterward though, that's when the real game would begin.

All For One stepped outside the world for the first time in many years, since his defeat against All Might to be exact. Usually, he would send Kurogiri and sometimes Shigaraki to find potential quirk users, get them kidnapped and steal their quirks in order to inject them into a Nomu or make them the host. But this time he couldn't send either of them to search. The quirk he required was just a vague idea, not specific enough. His instructions wouldn't be enough to lead them in the direction he wished for. He would most likely end up with several kidnappings, none of which could have what he was looking for.

He needed to be careful and stay out of sight, blend with the shadows and keep the world from ever catching a whiff of his presence. He could not have a single peep reach All Might's ears. He was not ready to face that monster again, even if the hero was as weakened from their fight as he was. He wondered if his nemesis had already decided on a successor for One For All, it would certainly make it easier to eradicate the hero from the face of earth. The successor even more so.

They couldn't give them time to grow into One For All's power.

Walking through the streets, various neighborhoods and even intruding on other's homes, he had seen various interesting quirks. Had even stolen a few for his Nomus. One in particular stuck out to All For One, a boy with a bird head which possessed a shadow familiar. A monster attached to its user which would sometimes take over the boy when overwhelmed by darkness. It was close to what he needed, he almost took it even. But it wasn't what he truly wished for. The familiar could be easily controlled with enough experience. The quirk he was looking for needed to be a constant struggle to the user.

He spent nights stalking through the streets, witnessing quirks one after the other, before he finally made an encounter with a child no more than 5, crying his throat hoarse in the middle of the night, locked in his room as his parents did not know what to make of their son and his developing quirk.

The lights in the boy's room were all turned on, however, every corner was littered with shadows. Well, shadow hands to be exact. They crawled up the walls, scratching them slowly, the furniture was thrown about across the room with various other items and the boy's body was wrapped tightly, cradling the child seemingly whispering words, indistinguishable to All For One, but doubtlessly loud to the boy's mind.

The child possessed a crazed look as he screamed for his mother, demanding his mother to let him out! He looked almost murderous, an expression a child so young should never possess.

It seemed like the quirk was sentient, much like the shadow familiar of the bird boy, but there was something far more malicious contained in this power. It didn't appear quite like a separate being. However, those were simply theories he had developed through observation. He would have to experience the quirk himself to determine its power properly and of what nature it was.

One For All did not hesitate to steal the quirk from the boy, the child finally falling silent, no longer plagued by the quirk he had been forced to inherit. He was no longer enraged, fainting to the ground, tired beyond reason, countless of sleepless nights finally catching up to the small body.

Feeling the quirk act on his body, he understood much better why the child's personality had been what it had been.

Yes. Yes, this quirk would do well for the boy who once dreamed of heroics.

 **A Villainous Twist**

"Indeed, it is your quirk, Midoriya-kun. I personally handpicked it for you. I believe it will fit you rather well." Izuku did not hear the maliciousness underlined in All For One's tone. And frankly, he did not care much at that moment. This man who had never met Izuku in his entire life, who, frankly, shouldn't care less about the boy, had gone through all this trouble to choose a quirk specifically for him. Something that would fit him and no other!

Izuku shook in excitement at first, but it quickly morphed into fear. What quirk could possibly fit him? What quirk made this man think that they would be the perfect match?

Negative thoughts started filling Deku's mind, doubts and insecurities resurfacing. Would his quirk be a useless one, much like he was himself? If this quirk was supposed to fit him perfectly, then there was no way that it could be anything good, anything amazing.

However, any quirk would be a good quirk to Deku, he couldn't really be picky about that. Just the notion that he would be like every other human on this planet already made him more than just the Deku that he was. It didn't matter if the quirk was useless as himself. What mattered was that it was a quirk at all. And that it would be his.

"Well, then, shall we proceed."

Izuku was about to agree when he remembered the condition he had yet to state to Shigaraki's sensei.

"I-I-I have a…" He had thought that it would be difficult to state his condition to Shigaraki, having been happy to have gotten it off his chest the first time around. But this… This was entirely different. This man possessed a completely different aura from Shigaraki, and frankly, he was afraid and ashamed to even state the simple request he had vowed to keep after he joined the other side.

He swallowed, fidgeting and looking anywhere but on the large man sitting in front of him.

"Tell me Izuku, what do you want?" The usage of his first name startled him further, not knowing how to act in the least. All For One did not seem angry (not that he could make out anything out of his expressions seeing as it was covered by a mask) and his tone seemed calm enough.

"I have a… condition." He stood awkwardly, closing his eyes tightly, praying to any entity which might exist in this world that this generous man, villain or not, would not get angry with him, would not deny him his quirk.

"Then state your condition." His tone sounded almost amused. To All For One, it sounded like Izuku was being forced into this quirk, which, thinking further on it, he probably was. After all, getting this quirk meant the boy would become the last thing he had wished to become.

"I want to… I don't want to be forced to kill…"

"Hmmm…" Izuku waiting in anticipation, slowly becoming a nervous wreck as he waited for his answer. Fortunately, he did not need to wait long to get an answer. "That is fine."

Izuku blinked shocked, unable to comprehend what had just happened. All For One had simply… accepted his refusal to kill just like that? Wow… Izuku felt his heart clench, but not in a negative manner like he was used to. Tears started prickling his eyes, but not out of sadness. A breathless "Thank you" escaped the boy's lips before he reached out for All For One's hand, ready to be bestowed with his gift.

All For One's fingers changed shape, elongating as they shifted color and texture, appearing like awkward wires as they stabbed Izuku's hand, causing a gasp to escape the boy. However, despite being pierced by Sensei's powers, he felt no pain whatsoever.

Minutes passed and seemingly nothing happened. All For One let go of Izuku's hand, the wires no longer ingrained under his skin before nodding. The dark haired boy was left to simply stare, not knowing what had happened.

He inspected his hand for wounds and found none, fascinated by the action as he had clearly felt All For One's fingers penetrate his skin. Did that mean that he had a quirk now? He didn't feel any different… Maybe… was he unable to get a quirk? Was his body incapable of containing a quirk because he had two joints in his toes?

Izuku lips started a quiver as tears slowly gathered at the corner of his eyes. He wanted to ask but felt like he had already overstepped his boundaries. Luckily, he didn't have to.

"We are finished here. Enjoy your quirk, Midoriya-kun."

Izuku looked between Shigaraki and All For One, the former having intently watched the whole exchange. He wanted to ask so badly if he truly had a quirk now. If it was normal that he felt no different from before… But the clear dismissal of the leader's words left him no room to speak further.

He murmured another "Thank you," bowing deeply to the man before Shigaraki led him out and back to the bar where Kurogiri was sitting in one of the tables sipping on a drink.

* * *

 **A/N:** The quirk I've given Izuku was heavily inspired by an AMV called "BLACKOUT |Bakudeku.| Villain Deku". Honestly, it was this AMV in the first place which drove me to write a villain!deku AU x3

Anyway, thanks for reading and leave a review for this desperate author of yours. It will bring me great joy to hear your feedback! If you have any criticism to share, please do so. So long as the words are meant to improve this story and not to bash, I'd be more than happy to listen :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** Boku no Hero Academia does not belong to me, nor will it ever belong to me.

 **Warning:** Rated T, though it might go up.

 **A/N:** Soooo, this chapter came earlier than expected, to be honest. Some recent shit has happened and life is handing me quite a few lemons and I don't really like lemonade :/

Either way, I somehow got myself to sit down and write this chapter since I didn't want to leave you guys waiting for too long. It's a bit on the short side, but I'm really tired and I just wanna head off to bed, so I apologize for that (currently speaking, it's 2 am here).

As always, I hope you enjoy~

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

It started with gentle whispers calling out his name. Not his real name, never his real name. Instead, it kept repeating the nickname which Izuku had been forced to answer to since childhood. It called quietly, so very quietly, making the boy question if he had imagined the whisper in the first place.

 _Deku_ …

The room had been very still as Kurogiri nursed his drink, while Shigaraki remained silent, staring Izuku down with his one visible eye. It was unnerving how the crimson pupil just seemed to analyze his very soul, making Izuku fidget in his seat as he waited for his quirk to show any signs. Shigaraki was anticipating Izuku's quirk just as much as the boy himself was, waiting for it to show, curious as to what position Izuku could play in his invisible chessboard. Would he remain just a Pawn, as he originally planned, or would his quirk upgrade his value into a Knight? A Bishop maybe? Certainly not higher than a Tower.

Unlike Shigaraki's doubtless resolve that Izuku would manifest his quirk, the boy himself still had doubts about receiving his superpower. What if this whole charade had been a lie? What if this was just a way to further humiliate him, giving him false hope that he could actually be a normal person like the majority of this world?

Izuku shook his head. He had had this discussion with himself once. There was no gain for the villains to humiliate him, to despair him further. No. But what if he was unable to receive a quirk? What if he was defect? Meant to be forever quirkless? Sensei did not seem to worry much over that, however. On the contrary, he seemed quite sure that Izuku had received his quirk. He only hoped that the man's parting words were true and that he truly did get his quirk. He did not wish to disappoint, not after they seemed to be doing so much for him already…

"I-Is Se-Sensei going to join u-us…" The silence was deafening, his nerves bringing the boy close to tears. He had assumed the man which gifted him his quirk would join them eventually before leaving, so he was surprised All For One had yet to make his appearance after half an hour passed.

"Sensei has already left," Shigaraki answered calmly, his eyes forever fixed on Izuku.

"Oh…" It was the only thing the young boy managed to say, quickly averting his eyes from Shigaraki, unable to hold his gaze for more than a few seconds. It felt so… intense. Izuku had never received such unwavering attention. The intensity with which Shigaraki looked at him frightened him slightly, though Izuku believed that everything the young man did was meant to scare and intimidate.

Having nowhere to put his eyes on, refusing to look at Shigaraki nor Kurogiri, Izuku's stare was fixed on his feet as he sat awkwardly on one of the stools, a few seats away from his new comrades.

 _Deku…_

It was at that moment that the whispers repeated his name. Slightly louder, enough for Izuku to notice its presence instead of brushing it off like the first time. He raised his head, first looking at the only two people present in the room before observing the entire bar. None of them seemed to have said something, though he couldn't be sure seeing as he could not see either of their expressions.

"Is something wrong, Izuku-kun," Shigaraki's voice sounded slightly gleeful, aware of the confusion and discomfort the boy was in. Izuku did the only thing he could at that moment. Shake his head in denial. Sweat started dripping at the side of his temple, nervousness overwhelming him. Once again, he ignored the call of his name, thinking himself crazy for assuming anyone had called him by that nickname. Not here, anyway.

"Um… When am I… going to return h-home?" Though his quirk had yet to manifest, it would eventually do so. Hopefully… There was no need for him to remain in the Villain's lair any longer. He would be just a burden to them either way. He had absolutely nothing to offer as of that moment.

"Return home?" the confusion in Shigaraki's voice sounded almost childish, like a toddler being asked a peculiar question, a question he simply did not understand how he could possibly answer. A strange and silly question. "Izuku-kun, did you expect to return to your mother after you joined us?" his head slightly tilted.

To be honest, Shigaraki wouldn't really care if Izuku returned back to his initial home. Had it been the case that Izuku had been a willing participant on becoming a villain and not someone who had just received a quirk from them as a bargain that is. The boy would be forced to remain and live in the bar under constant monitoring. They couldn't afford for their newest member to betray them. Shigaraki had plans, big plans, with Izuku regarding the hated All Might.

Izuku on the other hand, looking shocked frozen. In all his contemplating and decision making, he had not considered that he would be unable to return home, to never see his mother again. He had believed that he would receive his quirk, become part of the League of Villains and return home to continue school like normal, only with a side job where he would come to the Villains aid whenever called.

But when he thought more about it… He realized how naïve and stupid that kind of thinking had been. He was a villain now. Someone who would break the law, _was_ already breaking the law simply by associating himself with the wrong people. How could he expect to return back home when he would be hunted for the things he would be forced to do. How could he disappoint his mother further by living under her roof whilst having become something so vile?

He laughed awkwardly, trying to act like it was no big deal, as if not returning home didn't bother him as much. As if the disappointment and treason he was committing didn't hit him as hard as it actually had. As if the devastating expression of his mother did not flash in front of his mind, stabbing his heart like a thousand needles, setting his skin on fire, burning him alive.

This had been his choice, this had been the path he chose to save himself. Did he expect to only gain and make no sacrifices? This wasn't just about fighting on the wrong side, he realized. This was about abandoning his previous life, both the good and the bad.

"Haha… Y-yeah, that was s-silly of m-me," his stuttering was getting worse and worse as realization dawned onto Izuku. His body was shaking in fright, the reality of his situation scaring him to death. Did he truly make the right choice?

 _Deku!_

It was still a whisper, but it might have as well been screamed right into his ear. Izuku was startled out of his mind, roaming the room with his eyes as if on high alert. His heart beat fast and heart against his ribcage, blood rushing through his veins to provide for more oxygen as Izuku's breathing became more and more frantic.

The whispers hadn't been his imagination after all…

 _Poor Deku…_

They started to get more frequent, more repetitive, no longer just calling out his name. Izuku listened at the quiet room, though not so quiet for him anymore, hushed words calling out his desperation. Was this his quirk manifesting? These whispers… these cruel, cruel murmurs, repeating his name with the most depressing adjectives attached.

It wasn't just whispers manifesting, however. What he did not seem to be aware of were the tiny black hands creeping up his body, cradling him gently, softly, as if wanting to comfort the boy and yet they might have as well been trying to suffocate him to death.

 _Lonely Deku, Weak Deku, Broken Deku, Useless Deku, Bad, bad Deku…_

 _Villain Deku…_

Izuku shot both of his hands to his ears, desperately covering them in hopes that he could somehow deafen himself from hearing the harsh reality which the whispers seemed to try to convey. However, no matter how hard he pressed, the whispers only seemed to grow louder and more vicious with their added adjectives. Izuku realized, there was no way for him to block these whispers. They were all in his head.

Shigaraki, on the other hand, seemed to approach him with curiosity, excited as Deku's quirk started to manifest. He did not know what quirk his Sensei had gifted the boy, he had not cared, but was anticipating it excitedly nonetheless. It was all part of the game. Aware of the inner turmoil which was happening in Izuku's mind, both Shigaraki and Kurogiri watched as shadows began to fill the room ever so slowly, tiny hands crawling out of dark corners, phasing in and out of existence, as if unsure if they should be there or not.

Minutes passed, as slowly but surely Izuku's quirk became more and more solid, the suffering of the boy growing with its manifestation.

"S-Stop…" Izuku's words were barely above a whisper.

The squirming hands came to a halt as per the boy's command, though they did not remain at that state for long. Instead, the hands rushed to the boy all at once like poisonous snakes, wrapping themselves around Izuku possessively, hungrily, devouring his entire body in a mass of black. The second every inch of the boy's body was covered in pitch black shadows, leaving only emerald eyes to show, Shigaraki and Kurogiri watched fascinated as Izuku's eyes bled red, his quivering body no longer shaking.

A sharp mouth seemed to rip open where Izuku's lips should have been, carnivorous teeth gleaming through before a chilling voice, similar to what Izuku's actual voice sounded, yet twisted and layered with a high pitch as it spoke its first words to the outside world.

"Sad Deku…"

Kurogiri was quick to act, his quirk already enveloping Shigaraki as he was in front of Izuku, reaching out with his hand to take a closer look of what the boy had become, before endless black hands seemed to emerge, ready to strike their nearest target.

Shigaraki stumbled back, falling to the ground, his eyes going wide while staring at the misty wall of Kurogiri, blocking his vision towards Izuku. Behind the protective wall, black hands thrashed violently, striking the mist over and over again, ready to destroy every single threat which approached their charge.

"What kind of quirk is that?" Shigaraki asked fascinated.

"Shigaraki Tomura, please stand back from Midoriya-kun," Kurogiri asked of his leader whilst absorbing the attacks of the black mass which once had been a quirkless boy. It was obvious that Izuku Midoriya was in no shape or form in control of his new quirk, having easily been taken over the second the quirk was strong enough to solidify.

Shigaraki slowly stood up, brushing off the dirt from his pants as he took a few steps back, next to Kurogiri. With Shigaraki retreating, Kurogiri's mist followed, observing as the shadows retreated back to the boy once the threat seemed to back off.

"It's protecting him…"

"What do you propose we do with him? He has lost complete control of his mind and his quirk won't let anyone approach him."

What was once Izuku, simply stood at the same place without moving, crimson eyes watching the two in an almost hypnotic manner. The blackened boy was completely frozen, appearing almost like a statue, not a twitch coming from his muscles. It would have been a terrifying sight had he been in the presence of civilians. As it stood, the two villains were not phased by the monstrous appearance.

On the contrary, Shigaraki seemed to be gleeful at what he was witnessing.

"Ahhhh, Sensei! You've given Izuku-kun such an interesting quirk!" Already Izuku's position was raising from a mere Pawn. However, Shigaraki couldn't quite ignore Kurogiri's words. At the state Izuku was at that moment, they couldn't approach him, either of them, without getting lashed out on. The arms which Izuku could produce seemed to be made out of shadow, Shigaraki couldn't hope to decay something made out of, what essentially seemed to be, dark matter, much like he couldn't do anything against the black mist of Kurogiri. Kurogiri on the other hand, though able to approach, wouldn't be able to touch him unless he wanted to risk solidifying and getting hit by the vicious attacks.

The villains were left to wait, hoping that Izuku would eventually tire, or the quirk would deactivate on its own. Neither of them believed that Izuku could break out of this quirk on his own.

They were right, of course.

At the innermost mindscape of the green-haired boy, Izuku was wallowing in darkness and depression, the whispers having never stopped as they continuously fed the boy with negativity. Izuku couldn't hope to break out of this black hole, agreeing with every single word breathed into his ears.

It was only after hours and hours passed, Izuku's physical body no longer able to sustain itself, that the dark shadows retreated back to the darkened corners of the room, hiding, waiting in anticipation to be called once more, as their master collapsed to the floor, physically and mentally exhausted.

His cheeks were tear-stained, though neither of the residents of the bar had been aware of the sobbing mess, the black shadows having hidden Izuku's entire silhouette.

"Approximately 6 hours since the manifestation of his quirk… Kurogiri, take him to his room." Shigaraki announced before he himself retreated at the back of the bar where his own room existed. It was the last door on the short hallway, the same room in which Izuku had received his new quirk form his Sensei. Shigaraki was tired after having observed the still and boring form of Izuku until his quirk had exhausted him. The beginning had been amusing but it had quickly gotten mind-numbing as neither Kurogiri nor him could move without the shadow hands lashing out at their movement. They had been trapped and forced to observe absolutely nothing new.

Kurogiri did as Shigaraki told him, approaching the boy cautiously, wary if the shadows would return to protect their fallen charge. But as minutes passed with his presence close to Izuku, nothing happened, deeming it safe to carry the boy to his newly appointed room.

They would need to teach Izuku how to control his new quirk. It would be of a disadvantage if the boy had no measure of control over the shadows he seemed to be able to summon., obviously not recognizing friend from foe. Or maybe Izuku still considered them as an enemy?

Kurogiri had a feeling he would be spending a lot more time with the little boy he briefly held in his misty arms. Shigaraki had no patience to teach as he was still learning himself. It would probably be up to him to train their new charge.

If it was for the cause of the League of Villains, however, Kurogiri honestly did not mind.

* * *

 **A/N:** Who can guess what makes Izuku's quirk tick? Honestly, it's gonna be quite fun playing around with this mind fuck I just handed our poor protagonist. Shigaraki, on the other hand, is about to poop his pants in anticipation of what he can do with Izuku now that he seems to have quite a useful quirk.

All For One is fucking evil for giving poor Izukun this. As if our poor angel didn't have enough on his plate. At least Kurogiri is gonna be there for him :c

Ahhhh, I love torturing characters...

*cough*

Lemme know what thought of Izuku's quirk! Or well... part of Izuku's quirk, that isn't quite everything yet :D


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** Boku no Hero Academia does not belong to me, nor will it ever belong to me.

 **Warning:** Rated T, though it might go up.

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

When Izuku woke up, the only way he could describe his emotional state was "like shit".

He wasn't quite sure when he had gone to bed or how many hours he had slept if any at all, but he felt exhausted and drained. The lingering remains of his dreams, nightmares more like it, had left him boneless and tired. He couldn't even remember what it had been about. He just knew it had been a dream he wished to never dream again.

He brought up a hand to his face, moaning into it as he tried to shake off the remaining sleep. Izuku looked down his sheets, not recognizing ever going to bed nor did this bed feel like his own back home.

The memories came slowly but surely, how he had left school without going home first, without telling his mother goodbye as he would never see her again, waiting at the beach for Shigaraki to show up and the man eventually doing just that. How he had been teleported to the League of Villain's hideout, how he had met Kurogiri and talked to him about his quirk, and then had been introduced to the man Shigaraki called Sensei, the man who eventually claimed to be able to give him his quirk. Who, according to his words, had already given him his quirk.

He remembered the waiting… waiting and waiting for his quirk to manifest as the clock ticked ever so slowly. The doubts he had of his ability to get a quirk, the shaking realization that there was no turning back from this decision, that he was officially a villain, forever bound.

 _Deku_ …

As the whisper gently called his name, Izuku was overwhelmed by a sense of sadness and depression, feelings he had experienced right before his memories stopped, how he felt so helpless and weak, so wrong and heinous. Feelings he usually felt only after a horrible day of bullying, mainly by Kacchan, and of discouraging words which aimed to crush his dreams.

What in the world was going on…

He tried to rack his memories for more information, to find out why he was in such a horrible emotional state, but he kept bumping into a wall, each time he collided with it the feelings of depression clung to him like a second skin. He felt tears well up in his eyes, threatening to fall down his cheeks the harder he tried to remember. He was so confused by the emotions which seemed to be overflowing, so confused at his heart constricting itself painfully at the negative emotions.

Izuku blinked the budding tears away, letting out a tired and shaky sigh in an attempt to calm himself.

He looked around the room engulfed in darkness, trying to distract himself from his emotional turmoil, giving up on recalling anything more. Unfortunately, there wasn't much that he could give his attention to as he could barely see anything. There was only the window closed shut, sunlight desperately trying to squeeze itself through the blinds.

Standing up on unstable legs, he took careful steps to the window, trying to figure out how to open the blinds. The string which was meant to slide them open was obviously defected and often got stuck while he tried to pull, but with a bit of patience he finally got the blinds to reveal the daylight, sunlight immediately chasing away the darkness. He brought a hand over his forehead, shielding his sensitive eyes from the sudden brightness which lit up the room, already feeling better as the rays of sunshine kissed his skin.

The scenery beyond the glass wasn't anything special. A bit further away was just the wall of another building which would eventually cast its shadow on the room once the sun shifted position. Having nothing interesting to observe, Izuku finally turned around to look at the room only to stop all motion as the boy laid eyes on the lit room.

 _Deku_ …

Izuku wasn't very brave… he never claimed to be. Sure, he had wished to become a hero, someone who could save people with a fearless smile much like his idol—well, former one anyways—but what he desired to become never mattered in the first place. The truth was, Izuku wasn't brave at all, not when it came to himself. So, when he looked at the slithering hands, the source seemingly stemming from the shadowed corners, surrounding him, reaching out for him, Izuku's already shaking body collapsed on itself, a scream ripping out from his throat.

What were those!?

Upon Izuku's fear heightening, the whispers which he heard but chose to ignore became more frequent, filling up his head with thoughts of fear and panic, the hand's movement growing more impatient and erratic as they desperately tried to crawl over his skin. The only thing Izuku could manage to do was brush his skin with his hands in a futile attempt to get the black shadows off his body, pushing himself further and further to the back of the wall.

However, no matter how hard Izuku tried to shake the hands off from the surface of his skin, he quickly began to realize that the dark hands acted much like actual shadows in terms that they were just an area lacking light and thus didn't actually exist even though they felt quite physical. The following thought as to how to remove these things from his person was immediate; he simply had to drowse himself in light and they would disappear, right? Unfortunately for him, that attempt would be just as pointless seeing as most of his body was already covered in sunlight while the shadowed hands continued their conquest on his body without fault.

Izuku watched with heightened panic as his skin was slowly being swallowed by black ink, none of his actions bringing any positive results. He almost overheard the knock which rebounded from the door, the whispers filling up his head mercilessly, either Kurogiri or Shigaraki standing behind it. With Izuku's attention directed at the knocks on the door, the shadows halted on their way, the whispers quieting down ever so slightly.

"Midoriya-kun, are you all right?" It was Kurogiri's voice.

"K-Ku-Kurogiri-san!" The shout was desperate, laced with fear but also hopeful that someone would rescue him. Izuku had absolutely no idea what was going on, his rational thoughts jumbled over the attacking shadows. The door opened gently, presenting Kurogiri as his glowing eyes scanned the room to find Izuku's shaking form sat beneath the window. They remained in silence for a few seconds, Kurogiri simply watching Izuku unusually calm, the quietness causing the whispers to sound that much louder in Izuku's ears.

"Your quirk is trying to take possession of you again," Kurogiri finally spoke, Izuku's legs and half of his torso already shrouded in black.

"M-My quirk?" The boy's eyes were blown wide, green orbs shifting from Kurogiri to his shadowed body as realization finally dawned in. The whispers grew quieter by the second, their master conscious of their source, no longer in a flux of negative emotions. The tiny hands were desperately trying to cling to Izuku's body but were forced to retreat the more stabilized their user's feelings became.

The fear which Izuku had initially felt was being replaced by something more positive, the panic and desperation for help leaving him as something akin to excitement bubbled in his stomach.

These hands… these shadows and whispers were his doing.

Izuku was unsure how to feel about this new power. On one hand, this quirk—his quirk scared him, the whispers constantly calling him with his childhood nickname, trying to bring him down with cruel words, but on the other hand… it was _his_ quirk. A power that was his and his alone. He was finally normal. He could finally become something more than just useless Deku.

"The shadows seem to have retreated," Kurogiri's voice sounded slightly fascinated. When Izuku looked around the room, he too noticed that the hands which had tried to possess him had disappeared. No, disappeared was quite right. They were hiding in the shadows. Now that Izuku was aware of his quirk, he could feel the snake-like hands lying dormant into the darkened corners of the room, waiting for an opportunity to be summoned once more.

However, the shadows may have retreated, the whispers continued their call in his ears. They were soft and quiet, barely audible, but Izuku knew they were there, chanting his name preciously. Fortunately, with their volume decreased, Izuku could concentrate on his own thoughts as well as the words of others without much issue.

Izuku stood up from his pathetic position, his legs still a bit shaky but found himself mostly stable.

"I'm sorry Kurogiri-san, I forgot that I would be manifesting a quirk. I hope I didn't cause any trouble with my… panic," Izuku's cheeks reddened in embarrassment, feeling the urge to bring his hands to his face so that he could hide his shame. He could have easily avoided this entire ruckus had he been in his right mind when the hands appeared. Honestly, how had he not thought that this was his quirk manifested? He had been so frightened by it that all logic seemingly left him.

To be quite fair, he still couldn't believe that he was no longer quirkless. No matter the strangeness of the quirk, no matter how much it frightened him, he had not realized how happy he would be to finally fit in with the rest of the world.

"Don't worry, Midoriya-kun, you've caused no trouble. Would you like some breakfast?" As if on cue, Izuku felt his stomach twist in hunger though thankfully it did not growl for Kurogiri to hear. He smiled at Kurogiri's offer, feeling warm and welcomed by the elder man's kindness and nodded in response. He followed Kurogiri out of the room and into the bar where Shigaraki was playing with a set of cards trying to build a pyramid.

"Good morning, Shigaraki-san," Izuku greeted awkwardly but got no response from the leader. He watched Shigaraki place with careful motions two cards on top of the pyramid, his fingers separated awkwardly as if afraid the cards might crumble under his grip. Meanwhile, Kurogiri disappeared behind the counter taking out a plate with some onigiri on top. Izuku took a seat at one of the stools, far enough from Shigaraki as not to disturb the man, but close enough to observe his work, thanking Kurogiri for the food before he began to eat.

Shigaraki was eerily calm, not a single tremble coming from his hands as he placed card after card on top of the pyramid. Izuku was fascinated by their steadiness, knowing that if he attempted to build something as delicate it would get destroyed before he could even properly begin.

Just as Shigaraki placed the last pair of cards available on the peak of the pyramid, his clam and careful hands did something Izuku had not expected. They dove into the delicate construction, the cards flying all over the place as the pyramid was no more. Izuku was left gawking by the mess Shigaraki caused. He hadn't even waited one second to admire his finished work before destroying it!

Shigaraki turned his head to Izuku, the hand on his face hiding his expression, though Izuku knew that Shigaraki was observing him carefully with his crimson eyes.

"How do you like your quirk, Izuku-kun?" The question caught him off guard, having not expected for Shigaraki to talk to him when he had so blatantly ignored his greeting just a few moments ago. He did not know how to answer him, if he should be honest about his feelings regarding his quirk or lie about it in order to please the villain in front of him. He felt his anxiety rise, the whispers in his head growing louder with his nervousness and the hands in the shadows growing more restless. Izuku fidgeted in his seat, contemplating his words before he decided to go with an honest answer.

"I am… happy that I have a quirk. I can't thank you enough for giving me this opportunity Shigaraki-san! But… I won't lie, the quirk I was given… scares me." Izuku swallowed hard as he observed the hands creeping out from their hiding place and slowly making their way to him. His quirk was truly a strange one, deciding to lay dormant most of the time, only springing into action when Izuku's feelings seemed to delve into anything akin to depression or fear.

He watched the hands slither their way to his seat, climbing his leg before settling to his cheek in an act of comfort. Though the words whispered to his ears were far from comforting.

"It keeps trying to… put me down, however." Shigaraki tilted his head at what Izuku said.

"Sensei chose this quirk specifically with you in mind. I dare say, he chose the quirk most fitting and compatible with your personality Izuku-kun. This quirk is probably the one you should have been born with if the universe wasn't so prone to making mistakes. So, if your quirk scares you, are you scared of yourself too as this quirk is now, per default, an extension of yourself?" His tone sounded childish, the question containing no maliciousness but simple curiosity, and yet Izuku couldn't help feeling creeped out by Shigaraki's words.

Izuku looked down to his feet, unable to keep his eyes straight ahead, observing more and more hands cling to his feet. Kurogiri remained silent in this whole exchange, taking the empty plate from Izuku before he started washing it.

 _Deku is scared…_

Scared of what? Of himself, like Shigaraki said? There was nothing to be scared of! This quirk was now just an extension of himself, it was a power he would use to fight against others, not against himself! There was nothing to fear from the darkness which seemed to want to swallow him.

 _But Deku is still scared..._

Izuku could practically hear the smile in the whispers. A sharp-toothed smile...

He had always looked towards the light, had always admired the heroes and their bright, cheerful, charismatic quirks. Being drowsed in darkness, becoming a villain with a quirk as cruel as the one he seemed to possess… it scared him. He couldn't help but be scared. This was a path he had never wanted to take, yet he chose to walk it anyway.

"Will you let your quirk control you again?" Shigaraki's voice interrupted the inner turmoil he was going through. It was barely noon and Izuku was already feeling beyond tired.

"N-no…" his resolve was weak. The darkness kept spreading throughout his body.

"It's spreading," Shigaraki stated as he bent down to gather the scattered cards laying on the floor. Izuku, on the other hand, simply bit his lips as he listened to the whispers in his ears. He closed his eyes, concentrating, willing the hands to go back into the shadows, but they did not budge. They simply climbed further and further onto his body.

 _Deku can't control…_

"I… I can't control it…" His voice was shaking, tears already glazing his eyes.

"It is your quirk. Control it," Shigaraki commanded. His crimson eye watched Izuku as the boy concentrated in an attempt to stop his quirk, but no matter how tightly the boy shut his eyes, no matter the tears he shed, the shadows simply seemed to climb faster. The more distressed and desperate Izuku became, the more powerful and independent the shadows grew, rejecting the user's wishes.

The irony of this quirk was truly amusing.

Shigaraki observed fascinated as Izuku once more lost all control, his body covered in black ink, much like the day before, as his irises bled red. The black silhouette of Midoriya sat still on the stool, eyes shifting between Shigaraki and Kurogiri, the former shuffling the gathered cards while the other polished the plate with a clean cloth.

"It appears that the quirk depends heavily on Izuku's emotional state," Shigaraki declared. Kurogiri nodded, confirming his leader's conclusion with the information he had gathered that morning.

"When I found Midoriya-kun in his room, he was frightened out of his mind while his quirk tried to possess him, however, the second he calmed down with the realization that the shadows were his quirk and therefore his doing, the hands retreated and disappeared."

Shigaraki looked at Izuku, a bit annoyed that they were once more in the same predicament as the day before. It wasn't just the situation which grated on Shigaraki's nerves however, it was Izuku himself which was slowly pissing him off. The boy was an emotional disaster, his potential as a villain absolutely atrocious. Shigaraki had no idea how to deal with him as he wasn't a person to save but rather destroy. He did not want to support and comfort Izuku, the whole notion made him scoff.

This wasn't like the usual games he played. It was challenging, and Shigaraki liked challenges, but this one he'd rather lose.

If only Izuku wasn't so important for the destruction of All Might, if he didn't hold such a crucial position in his game, he wouldn't have bothered with the boy at all.

"I would rather not wait another six hours for the quirk to deactivate. He won't need our supervision this time around." Kurogiri understood Shigaraki's wish to leave the bar and activated his warp gate, swallowing both himself and the leader of the League of Villains to another location. The still form of Izuku immediately grew additional hands, ready to strike but failed to hit their mark as both individuals disappeared in a black mist.

With Shigaraki and Kurogiri gone, Izuku was left alone in the hideout, red eyes roaming through the room, slithering its black hands across the bar as to check if the threat had truly left or simply rendered themselves invisible. Knocking a few things over and breaking a few objects, the room was finally deemed safe enough. Minutes passed with Izuku's body remaining still, until the red eyes of his went back to their initial green color. The boy's eyes fell shut at his quirks release, his body going limp as he fell to the floor with a loud crash.

It would be in this position that Izuku would find himself waking up to, his body aching and bruised from the fall he could not remember. And it was in this position that he would find himself in the presence of a strange individual, smoking a cigarette as he amusingly observed his waking form under round glasses.

* * *

 **A/N:** This chapter basically served to simply give a little bit more insight into Izuku's quirk inner workings as well as Izuku's reaction to it. Gosh, Shigaraki was so freaking hard to write in this chapter, had to watch several videos of him as well as read his character information again and again to get him right. He's so freaking complicated . Kurogiri, on the other hand, flows suuuuper easily!

Next chapter will be a bit of a time skip told from Kacchan's POV after Izuku's disappearance and his general reaction to that revelation. Poor mama Midoriya is going sick with worry at the disappearance of her son :c

Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and leave a cookie if you did so :D


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** Boku no Hero Academia does not belong to me, nor will it ever belong to me.

 **Warning:** Rated T, though it might go up.

 **A/N:** This chapter is mostly Katsuki and at the VERY end a lil' bit of Inko. There might be hints of KatsuDeku? Idk to be honest, I'm still deciding on that. I'm just letting the character's speak for themselves though if you have any preferences regarding this, please lemme know! It might help in my decisions.

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

 **Thursday 8:30 AM.**

The bell rang loudly announcing the start of the first period, everyone scrambling to their seats as their teacher entered the class. One particular seat, however, remained empty. Not that anyone bothered to notice. It was after the teacher checked for attendance, calling out name after name that the class even became aware of their missing classmate.

Midoriya Izuku was absent for the whole day.

 **Friday 8:30 AM**.

Red eyes shifted to the still emptied seat but did not linger long on it. The day went by much like any other school day did. Bakugou Katsuki went out of class the second the last school bell rang. It was a weekend, and though there wasn't much to do, Katsuki was set on enjoying the only free days he had a week by relaxing and lazing around.

 **Monday 2:10 PM**.

Their homeroom teacher entered the class, expression tight. The nerd was still absent.

"Class, there is a grave announcement I have to make. Your classmate, Midoriya Izuku has been declared missing since last Wednesday. The police will come to investigate and will ask you some questions after class. Please do not leave the room until you've been told otherwise." With those words out, the teacher halfheartedly started their lesson.

Murmurs and whispers broke out throughout the entire class, discussing the new information their teacher provided regarding their least favorite classmate. Some looked concerned, though it was unclear if it was for the safety of Izuku or for their own wellbeing seeing as they could become another victim of whatever had happened to the green-haired boy, and some simply snickered and joked cruelly about the boy's misfortune.

"Hey, Katsuki, you think Midoriya finally did it?" The boy snickering at Katsuki's side was thin and generally unappealing to the eye with his flat hair and pointy face. Katsuki did not really consider him a friend but chose to spend some of his time with him whenever he felt like being in the company of other people. So, when he spoke to him, the explosive boy did not blow his face up the second something stupid came out of his mouth.

"Did what, you moron?" His eyes glared at his classmate, his voice aggravated as was most the case.

"You know… offed himself," The boy whispered to his ear.

"HAAAAA!?"

The class fell silent at Katsuki's shout, the expression on his face filled with rage.

"The hell are you fucking about, you flatfuck!" Katsuki was fully facing his classmate, his hands crackling with explosions just for uttering that idea. Midoriya Izuku committing suicide? The fucker was a fucking coward but there's no way he'd kill himself! Not with how fucking stubborn the bastard was.

A white chalk stick flew right across the room, landing true to its mark as it hit the back of Katsuki's head, leaving behind a white spot in his blond hair.

"Bakugou-kun, please quiet down. I know the news are concerning and it's the only reason I haven't quieted down the class yet, but I won't allow such blatant shouting." The teacher reprimanded, thinking she had control over Bakugou Katsuki's actions. She didn't of course, but Katsuki chose to listen anyway just so he didn't have to deal with the bullshit his desk neighbor was spouting.

"Tch," he turned his face back to the blackboard, crossing his arms in annoyance, ignoring the entire class. He couldn't help, however, how his eyes shifted to the empty seat which should have been filled by a mob of dark green hair.

Katsuki did not understand the feeling which was coursing through his body at those moments, gritting his teeth in irritation, slowly replacing the gnawing emotion which clawed at his heart with murderous anger. It was always like that when it came to fucking Deku. He somehow always invoked negative emotions in him, emotions he simply couldn't, _didn't_ want to understand.

It irritated him.

It angered him.

It made him insane with rage!

He simply wanted to hurt the boy further and further, break him to pieces, shatter his mind till the boy wouldn't even _think_ of going against Katsuki's wishes.

But he couldn't do that now, could he? Midoriya Izuku was missing.

The words from his desk neighbor entered his mind, forcing him to remember something equally unpleasant. Words he had uttered himself.

Midoriya Izuku could be dead at this very moment.

He did not want to think it being his fault. The words from 2 weeks ago rang loudly in his mind.

Katsuki rose from his seat, a bile rising up his throat. He ignored the stares which followed his moving form, dismissed his teacher's shouts for him to return to his seat as he slid the door open and walked out of the classroom, closing the door none too gently.

He needed to calm the fuck down.

 **Monday 3:01 PM**.

When Katsuki returned to class, the police were already waiting outside to interview the students regarding Midoriya Izuku's disappearance. He couldn't care less about the teacher scolding him over leaving class. Katsuki was a good student, an exceptional one despite his delinquent-like behavior. He knew the teacher would not write down his blatant breaking of rules knowing that he had a bright future up ahead and couldn't afford to have any black marks on his report. It was his last year here, after all.

The students waited inside of the class as they were called one after another to be interviewed by an officer before they were sent home. It wasn't long till Katsuki was called forth, exiting class for the second time in that hour as he was sent in one of the empty classrooms.

"Hello Bakugou-kun," Some boring ass officer greeted him with an overly annoying smile. It was meant to show sympathy for the people who were worried over the victim, to clam them down and give them some measure of hope, but for Katsuki it only served to grate on his nerves further. He did not return the greeting and simply sat down to the offered seat, staring the man down with his fiery gaze.

The officer started feeling nervous in his presence, his red gaze judging him every passing second. He cleared his throat as to compose himself before he started asking the questions he had already asked several other students before Katsuki. It was practically routine now.

"Your teacher has already informed you as to why you're here, Bakugou-kun. Midoriya Izuku left school on Wednesday at 15:00 but never returned home and no one seems to know where he might have wandered off to. At the time of his departure, did you witness where he was going or if he was alone, Bakugou-kun?"

Katsuki thought for a few seconds before he gave his answer.

"Deku did not take the usual route home. We share the fucking way so I would know. Where the hell he went I have no clue but I'm pretty sure he was alone." The officer nodded, scribbling down the new information in his notebook before asking the next question.

"Do you know if his behavior that day was any different from before? If he was acting weird or was he nervous about anything?" Katsuki simply grimaced. Had Deku been acting any different?

"How the fuck should I know? The nerd is always acting weird all the damn time!"

But somehow, he knew that Izuku had been more fidgety in his seat, had been since the start of the week. He usually was the last to leave the classroom but ended up as one of the first to rush out once the bell marked the end of the last period.

"I see… I was informed that your relationship with Midoriya-kun isn't very good." The officer started.

"Yeah, so?" Katsuki's raised one of his brows. The officer did not like the words he was going to say next but in order to bring the investigation along he had to do it.

"Please, Bakugou-kun, if you have any information which might help us in finding Midoriya-kun, do not leave out any details, no matter how small or irrelevant they might seem." Katsuki did not understand at first what the officer was going on about but seemed to soon catch on. At least, he thought that's what the officer wanted to say with those words.

Katsuki's rage spiked.

"The fuck!? You think I've got something to do with his fucking disappearance!?" The teenage boy shouted angrily at the officers' face.

"N-no, no, of course not!"

"Then what the fuck are you talking about!?"

"Bakugou-kun, I've come to the understanding that you've been bullying Midoriya-kun for a long time now. Your classmates have been witness of your constant belittling of the boy and have informed me like so. Did you do anything to him on the day he went missing?"

Bakugou's anger rose and with his anger that gnawing, horrible, gut-wrenching feeling returned.

"I didn't bully him! I was simply showing him his place whenever he was out of place! Always blabbing about wanting to become a hero, applying to U.A. when he was just a fucking quirkless bastard!

As a matter of fact, I didn't even fucking exchange a word with that useless piece of shit when he decided to fuck off!" When Katsuki was done, he was standing menacingly from his seat, staring down the officer with unparalleled anger displayed in his gaze. The subject of Katsuki's anger simply sat wide-eyed at the words this child just told him, not knowing how to react to them.

Did the boy really not realize that he had been bullying his classmate, was he telling the truth? It was difficult to tell, however, with the way the boy was riled up he knew he wouldn't be getting any new information from Katsuki. The officer sighed in defeat.

"I see. Well, thank you for your time Bakugou-kun. You may leave." The words were polite but rather cold and lifeless in comparison to how the man had sounded at the start of the session.

Katsuki in turn simply pushed the chair away, making the object topple as he left the room with angered steps. The way back to his home was accompanied with grumbles and gnashing teeth as his stomach kept twisting in awkward ways, the feeling which had started building up since he found out about Deku's disappearance growing worse and worse.

 **A Villainous Twist**

Day's passed with no news on Midoriya Izuku. The seat in their classroom remained hallow and yet the students of the class couldn't seem to care less about the absence of their missing classmate. Well, everyone except for one. However, the worry and guilt which kept bubbling up in the pit of Katsuki's stomach would be quickly murdered with anger and rage, which left the boy unapproachable by his peers as they knew better than to deal with a pissed off Bakugou. It seemed lately Katsuki was in a constant state of rage.

The investigations were still open, trying to find any hints which could lead them to the whereabouts of their target or at the very least find out in what state Izuku was in, but no matter what they did, where they went or whatever new information they acquired, they all lead them to dead ends. No one had seen the boy, no one knew where the boy had gone, it was like he had been spirited away in some other realm.

The police were starting to think more and more that this wasn't a kidnapping incident, as Midoriya Inko kept insisting, but a runaway case where Izuku had decided to leave home himself, or worse, had decided to kill himself somewhere unknown.

When cases like this were presented to the police, the officers would believe that the missing person has gone rogue and became a villain. In most cases that turned out to be true, however, Izuku's quirkless state did not favor that notion and thus the idea of the missing boy to have committed suicide became more likely as the days passed on.

Bakugou Katsuki seemed to come to the same conclusion. He was aware of Izuku's capabilities. If it had been a kidnapping, the kid would have left some form of hint. Deku was smart despite his quirkless status, so if any of this had been unwilling from the boy's part, the police would have already found some lead to latch on. But with everything hanging out in the air, with them constantly running into an invisible wall, it led Katsuki to believe that Izuku's disappearance had been done with the boy's acknowledgment.

 _If you think you'll get a quirk in your next life… go take a swan dive off the roof!_

Three weeks now since he said those words. At that time, he had not cared about the effect they might have on the victim. Now, however… Now they kept popping up into his head each and every single day, haunting him in his wake and sleep, because those words might have taken the life of a fellow student… of a former childhood friend.

He did remember the change in Izuku's behavior but had simply not cared to look at in any deeper. How Midoriya participated less in class, how he always kept quiet, how he no longer blabbed about that foolish dream of his becoming a hero when he so often announced them to the world. He remembered the gloom which hung around him, the grave expression he sometimes seemed to carry.

He remembered the hard resolve he witnessed the three days before his disappearance and how he had ignored every single one of those signals.

Katsuki was mean, loud, certainly an asshole and downright awful to the people he disliked. And lately, he came to the revelation that he was also a bully… But he was no murderer. He would never take the life of someone who didn't deserve it, no matter how often he cursed them to die. Just because someone told them to take their life did not mean they should do it!

But with Midoriya Izuku missing, with the investigations turning out hopeless… For the first time, his actions were finally having consequences. Consequences which were affecting him directly rather than just the people around him.

Bakugou Katsuki might be a murderer after all.

And it ate away his insides day in and day out.

"Katsuki, are you alright, honey?" Katsuki inherited most of his personality from his mother, so to see the woman speak so softly, worry lining her youthful face, it spoke volumes about his emotional state and how it was affecting his appearance.

"I'm fine, old hag, leave me alone," Yet his words had no bite. They sounded weak and desperate compared to his usual tone. It was because of that tone that Mitsuki decided to not allow Katsuki to go to school that day, taking a day off from work. Something was marginally wrong with her son and he needed her now more than ever before.

There was a lot of yelling and fighting involved, explosions going off every other second as Mitsuki forced her son to sit down and talk about what was tearing him up. The house had to be turned upside down until Katsuki was finally willing to actually talk what was wrong with him. He realized that maybe this time, he could not solve this problem by himself. The bags formed underneath his eyes from countless of sleepless nights and the fog which gathered in his mind were already affecting his academic progress. Next year he was going to apply for U.A. and no matter how undeserving he felt becoming a hero at those moments, he did not want to give up on his lifelong dream.

"The police have stopped working on Deku's case. He might as well be presumed dead."

Mitsuki knew that Katsuki had been once friends with Izuku who had gone missing a few weeks prior. However, she did not think that his absence would affect Katsuki this deeply. After all, their friendship was something of the past. Katsuki did not really consider himself in any shape or form close to the timid boy. So why did Katsuki seem so devastated?

She believed there was more to the story than the few words Katsuki decided to share. Unfortunately, Mitsuki did not know how to approach the subject. Pressing the matter might turn Katsuki even more defensive than he already was, so she simply hugged her son tightly and whispered apologies for losing a friend.

But those apologies seemed to have the opposite effect from what she had desired as Katsuki pushed her away violently, rising from the sofa with angry tears welling up in his eyes.

"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, YOU OLD HAG! It's not like I care about his loss! I might be the reason for Deku's fucking death! I might be a murderer, mom! How can I expect to become a hero when I'm responsible for the fucking life of that shitty bastard!"

Mitsuki was left staring at her son in shock, those words so unexpected and yet it explained everything of her son's emotional state. She felt her heart clench painfully in her chest, asking herself how it had come to this before she sprung into action, the sound of a slap echoing loudly in their empty living room. Katsuki looked in disbelief at his mother, tears finally falling from his reddened cheek. A hug soon followed after, crushing him with her frail and delicate form.

"You stupid child, don't you ever say such horrible words about yourself ever again! I don't know what the fuck happened between you and Izuku-kun, but you are NOT the reason for his disappearance nor for his possible death!"

Those were words he had been constantly telling himself since he found out that the boy he had bullied for years would never come back to their classroom, but for some reason, now that his mother had said them to him with so much conviction and kindness, he felt the burden which had been getting heavier and heavier with each passing moment lighten up a bit.

It was still there, and it would forever weight him down, but it was much more bearable.

He cried in his mother's arms, something he hadn't done since he had been a toddler, letting out all the pent-up emotions he had been bottling since forever it seemed. His mind felt clearer and his body relaxed ever so slightly, the sleepless nights finally catching up to him.

He would loathe to admit and would deny this fact till his deathday, but he had never felt better than at that moment as he fell asleep in his mother's embrace.

 **A Villainous Twist**

Midoriya Inko sat alone in her empty home, her husband unable to return from work despite their son missing. Not a day went by where she didn't cry for hours on ends, eating her stress away as she couldn't bear the thought of her son never returning back to her.

With the investigations gone cold, the private investigators she had hired coming to the same conclusion, she felt herself wither away, despairing at the potential loss of her son.

"Izukun…" She muttered weakly at the empty space.

Three months das passed since Midoriya Izuku disappeared from the surface of the world. Three months had passed since another mother lost her child to a world of darkness. Three months had passed since Izuku began to train his new quirk.

* * *

 **A/N:** Mama Midoriya *cries*. I'm so sorry for taking away your son :c Your husband also sucks :c

Oke, now, time for explaining Katsuki's bullying shit! Right now Katsuki is 13 years old. He is a smart kid but he's also an asshole and has a superiority complex and no one ever reprimanded his actions. On the contrary, he was constantly praised and no one ever told him that what he was doing was wrong. The point is, he is still a child and has no fucking clue what he is doing. So, what he did to Izuku, he didn't consider bullying but just teaching the boy a lesson so to speak. Since his mother basically beat him whenever he does anything wrong (as is shown in the manga and anime where Mitsuki just hits him right off the bat lol) or does something out of line, he just adopted that mindset in a less stellar way.

It doesn't really excuse his behavior entirely, but I do dislike the way people demonize him and write him off as JUST a horrible person from birth.

Also, the police officer found out about the bullying while he interviewed the other kids and asked them if Izuku had any enemies (if anyone is wondering how the dude got that information). Obv everyone would say that Izuku was on bad terms with Bakugou and his goons.

Now that these are out of the way, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and hopefully I portrayed Katsuki's character well enough :D


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** Boku no Hero Academia does not belong to me, nor will it ever belong to me.

 **Warning:** Rated T, though it might go up.

 **A/N:** Ahhhhh, finally I'm done with this chapter. Most difficult chapter I had to write up until now (not to mention that stuff kept coming up for me to do, which didn't give me as much time to concentrate on this chapter). Well, it's here now and hopefully, I did a good enough job!

Enjoy~

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

It was a forced change… but a necessary one nonetheless. For the sake of keeping his sanity intact least, he drowned away in depression.

The first days of having his quirk, Izuku often lost control over the shadows which swallowed him whole whenever negative emotions overwhelmed him. It did not help that whatever sentient being his quirk was made of encouraged his depressive state of mind. It's actions and words contradicted itself, the hands often protective of Izuku, caressing him gently, softly, in a manner of comfort, and yet the whispers which followed, though kind in tone were anything but, cutting deeply into Izuku's insecurities, repeating words which Izuku had been forced to listen to for almost his entire life. However, this time those words scalded him that much more as they seemingly came from his own conscience.

Shigaraki and Kurogiri did not know how to deal with Izuku's quirk, believing that it was just a matter of controlling the sentient being, unaware of the whispers which the shadows fed to Izuku. But eventually, they came to realize that the activation of its "defensive mode", as they had started to call it, happened whenever Izuku started feeling anything akin to sadness, depression or fear. It was like a cry for help.

When Izuku was covered in black ink, it was near impossible to snap the boy out of that state as his quirk completely took over control. It would only deactivate when everything which posed as a potential threat to the host vanished from the room or Izuku fainted from exhaustion. Both cases led to Izuku simply losing consciousness, with the former waking up after about 30 minutes, while the other required long hours of rest.

It was a tedious quirk and Shigaraki wondered why exactly his Sensei had given Izuku precisely this quirk. The boy had already a low self-esteem and the quirk seemed to only be making things that much worse. He needed the boy alive, needed his mind warped in hatred and disgust towards the hero society, towards All Might, not broken by his own insecurities. Izuku needed to be irredeemable. No hero was to rescue him. All Might needed to lose all hope in Izuku's salvation and be aware that it was all his doing and his mistakes.

The boy needed to be broken, but not like this… Which is what baffled Shigaraki. It simply didn't make sense to him. Sensei would never do anything to jeopardize his plans in any way. On the contrary, he often helped make them easier to deal with, so Shigaraki believed that this quirk was also meant to somehow lessen his burden in controlling Izuku and turning him into a proper villain.

Unfortunately, Shigaraki had no idea how to utilize whatever aid Sensei might have given him. He had absolutely no clue what to do, a situation Shigaraki rarely ever found himself in. It was thinning his nerves, how the boy simply started wailing, crying, wallowing in self-pity. It irritated him, unable to stop himself from shouting at the boy to simply make it **work** , tempted to simply touch him, have him crumble into dust and be done with it. The displeasure with their newest addition made the itch under his skin worsen the more days passed without result, the scratching and harming he inflicted upon himself becoming more frequent as Izuku's health and mental state deteriorated.

Kurogiri wasn't having an easier time trying to somehow teach Izuku control.

When Izuku was under the influence of his quirk, he couldn't remember any of his actions on the outside world but could recall some memories while locked in his mindscape as his quirk took control. The memories were unpleasant, hurting the boy's emotional state the longer he owned the quirk. Even when he was sleeping, for once not having succumbed to the influence of his quirk and fainted, the whispers would continue to haunt him in his dreams, leaving him restless due to the numerous nightmares the whispers caused.

It had been only the first week and Izuku was already having dark bags under his eyes, his skin an unhealthy color. His emotions were all over the place and the best way he would describe himself at those moments was crippled.

It was quite apparent that Izuku was slowly but surely losing his mind.

Though insanity was quite common in the midst of villains, the kind of insanity Izuku was succumbing to was damaging to his health, rendering him almost useless unless his quirk was on auto-defense. And that was also only ever useful for keeping Izuku's physical body safe from any oncoming attacks and nothing else.

Shigaraki's displeasure continued to rise with this turn of events and Kurogiri was simply at a loss, not knowing how to handle neither his leader nor their new protege.

Eventually, both villains came to one conclusion: the quirk which Izuku had been gifted wasn't one to be controlled. It relied too deeply on the boy's emotional state. Izuku succumbed so often under his quirks influence that they didn't even know if Izuku could control even a measure of his power while conscious.

Meanwhile Izuku, as hard as he tried to control his quirk, he only managed to further hurt himself the more he concentrated, the more desperate he became. He often questioned why he was given exactly this quirk. All For One had told him that he had chosen it specifically for him, that it was most fitting for Izuku's personality. So why, why was he being forced to suffer through depression and sadness, why was it that even his own quirk was so against his own existence?

More than ever before, Izuku was truly considering committing suicide and finally end his useless existence. Because in the end, with or without quirk, he would always remain Deku it seemed.

But as it turned out, fate did not wish for Izuku to disappear from this world just yet. It was at the height of desperation and depression that Izuku would display feelings he rarely, if ever, allowed himself to feel and express.

"Midoriya-kun, control your emotions, do not let depression take over," Kurogiri's voice was gentle and polite, clearly meaning to act as a voice of reason, a guide for Izuku to create some measure of control of the shadowed hands. With the way the quirk relied so heavily on emotions to activate and act, the only solution Shigaraki could come up with was to simply train Izuku to **not feel**.

Izuku tried to take a deep breath, letting the air out slowly as he repeated the process. He needed to clear his mind, try to ignore the cruel whispers which kept gnawing at his mind, but the shadows simply refused to subdue from his body as stress and panic became more prominent.

This whole thing they were doing, all this training they were trying to put Izuku through in order for him to control this _curse_ which had been gifted to him, it seemed so completely useless. It's been days, weeks, hell it even felt like months and years, and nothing had changed.

Izuku always succumbed to his quirk's control. Izuku not once could break out of that controlled state.

At that moment, despite Kurogiri's advice, despite the time the man spent in his presence to comfort and give him courage, the task which had been handed to him seemed so impossible. Much like the road of heroics he had once wished to walk upon and now recognized how futile it was.

Controlling this quirk… his quirk… in his eyes, it seemed just as futile.

Izuku fell to his knees, his palms on the ground as he stared at the dirt in front of him. He could feel the hands creeping up his body, feel the control they were slowly gaining of his person. He was nothing but a meat suit for this monster he harbored inside himself.

 _That's right Deku…_

 _You're nothing but useless…_

 _Let us protect you from your own foolish mistakes…_

 _It's better if the world doesn't need to suffer your existence…._

"Izuku! Control them!" Shigaraki's voice was impatient, his hand scratching his neck violently, ripping the skin with his nails.

Amongst all the whispers, the demands of both Shigaraki and Kurogiri, in the midst of all this chaos which seemed to surround Izuku, something just… snapped.

 _This word be damned…_

"Shut up!"

In the pit of his stomach, Izuku could feel a searing white flame start to build up, emotions amplified as the whispers in his head shifted with the change of emotions.

It was so unfair. Since his birth, everything had been simply unfair! Growing up with a figure such as All Might as his idol, with a heart so full of kindness as he wished to do nothing more than help others with a smile on his face. Why was it him, why did the world choose him to be born quirkless and hopeless! Why was it that the most undeserving got what he could have utilized so much better!

If he had had a quirk, he could have been preparing to become a hero now, not a damned villain!

Why was it that of all the people to save him from his own self, his biggest hero refused to lend him a hand! Why did he have to suffer through all these hardships to even get a sliver of happiness, when others who not once lift their fingers simply have all the happiness of the world handed to them!

It was simply _unfair_!

 _So unfair Deku…_

 _You never did anything wrong Deku…_

 _The world is to blame Deku…_

 _This society is to blame Deku…_

 _So rotten…_

 _So hateful…_

 _Absolutely loathsome…_

Izuku screamed in rage as he felt hate, disgust and anger bubble up in the pit of his stomach, his fist punching the ground as if to punish the world for the injustice done to him since his birth. It served only to further harm himself, however, no matter how hard he tried to fight and resist. It was a perfect analogy of how the world treated him, as he fought harder and harder only to simply be punished in return for ever trying.

The shadows which had been crawling up his body did retreat in the end, but not for long. Instead, they morphed into something truly terrifying, the hands merging together as eyes upon eyes blinked open, rising behind the boy ominously. Unlike the slow and caressing hands which climbed Izuku's body to gain control, this cloak of darkness simply attacked Izuku to swallow him in a monstrous mantel.

Izuku's emerald eyes bled red. But his mind was still awake, still conscious to the outside world.

Izuku was in control and he wanted to do nothing more than to simply rip this entire world apart with his own two hands.

He rose from the ground slowly, fascinatedly watching his hands covered in black ink and crimson eyes. He lifted his eyes to see Shigaraki and Kurogiri in shock, this transformation completely new to both of them. Shigaraki kept scratching himself, his one visible eyes shot wide open as he did not know what to make of this turn of events.

The shock on their faces… was quite amusing.

Izuku stepped forward and Kurogiri did not hesitate to lift his dark mist to protect both of them from whatever attack Izuku might launch at them.

Izuku did not plan on attacking either of them. It was not them Izuku wanted to destroy and make bleed. It wasn't them Izuku's hatred and rage were directed at. Izuku's true target was far bigger.

"I'm in control…"

 _Not quite…_

 **A Villainous Twist**

Three months had passed by since Midoriya Izuku joined the League of Villains.

The changes which he experienced in his stay with the two villains as well as the occasional visit of Giran had been slow, reluctant and often left Izuku tired, helpless and frankly, confused. His quirk, Shadow Life, as he had started calling it due to its properties and behavior, was a package of negativity and adversity. It relied heavily on his emotions, seemingly feeding off of Izuku's emotional state, the more negative his emotions, the stronger his quirk's hold on Izuku as well as increase in power.

After finally starting to get a grasp of his quirk after that fateful change, he had started writing in a new notebook, "How to Villain No. 1", similar to his hero research notebooks he used to write, only dedicated to his own quirk and development as a Villain. It described how his quirk worked, how to break out of his state if he succumbed to depression and not lose consciousness after using it and how to control the shadows without going into Shadow Mode.

It wasn't just his control on his quirk which changed in this course of time. His personality… remained much the same. He was still quiet, shy and yet passionate. He was still very much Izuku, still kind, still willing to help, still appreciating human life and salvation but… he was a little bit more selfish, starting to learn how to put himself before others, be more confident about himself and… to not deny himself some feelings he always associated as villainous.

He no longer dreamed to become a hero, he had closed off that path the second he joined. It would do him no good to stick to heroic morals any longer. And Shigaraki did not hesitate to reprimand him, remind him that he no longer walked a path of light but one of darkness.

"Midoriya-kun, you're mumbling again."

The bar was as always empty the only people present being Kurogiri, Shigaraki and himself. The PC was on, Sensei most likely listening in as he so often preferred but not responding. The man was extremely pleased with Izuku's development and his quirk, Shigaraki sharing the sentiment.

"Sorry, Kurogiri-san! I was simply revising our last training session! Shadow Life is quite diverse and yet I have such few tools to work with as it only allows certain skills when I'm under the influence of certain emotions," Izuku explained as he furiously wrote down into his notebook, casually controlling the tiny black hands swiveling around him on the side as side training.

He had become quite used of the hands circling him as well as the whispers which Shadow Life so liked to surround him with. The nightmares inflicted by his quirk never stopped and he doubted they would ever stop, leaving him often with few hours of sleep, his eyes now permanently carrying dark bags, his skin color slightly off. Nonetheless, even if the nightmares shook him still, he knew how to deal with the negativity much better now, embracing the depression and rage which Shadow Life kept amplifying.

Izuku had finally understood why Sensei had gifted him with Shadow Life, why he deemed it perfect for him. Izuku was often naïve and in the past, he forgave many things which others could have never, but he wasn't dumb per se. The way his quirk was influencing his emotions and personality was clearly meant to ease him into the life of a villain and despite the hardships he had been forced to face, despite all the days and weeks he felt like absolute garbage due to depression, he was still thankful.

It made it easier to further himself from ever becoming a hero, it helped him forget his former dream, instead focusing his admiration to the people who truly gave him salvation. And it helped him accept Shigaraki's morals and worldviews much better.

"Sensei should have given you a quirk easier to manage. We can hardly use you for any controlled missions as we can't have you run on a rampage for you to utilize its maximum power. Have you tried to make the eyes open at will yet, Izuku?" With the changes Izuku had been going through, the irritation Shigaraki used to constantly feel in his presence had faded quite a bit, though the uncontrollability of his quirk still grated on his nerves from time to time.

Izuku, as of now, was only able to use the Shadow Hands, and even they were limited in numbers unlike when he went into Shadow Mode where they seemed to be endless. Seeing how otherwise helpless Izuku was, he had taken it upon himself to start teaching the boy in close combat as Kurogiri wasn't well versed in martial arts due to the nature of his quirk.

It had pleased him to discover that Izuku was a quick learner, even if he tended to overanalyze things in the heat of the moment. The more the boy shifted to their side and grew more and more into a villain, the more he discovered what an asset Izuku would be to them once he learned how to better control Shadow Life. His analytical mind also attributed to their cause and Shigaraki often found himself caring about Izuku's opinion when he found himself at a stalemate.

"I don't know if it's even possible to use them outside of Shadow Mode: Berserker. I've been trying, but there's been no progress at all." Izuku shook his head disappointedly as five snakelike hands danced at his will.

"The skills are there, so there should be a way to utilize them with a calm mind," Izuku observed as Shigaraki lightly scratched his hand, a sign of annoyance, but not quite bad. He simply nodded, agreeing with the sentence, returning his attention to his notes and analyzes he had made since he requested the empty notebook.

The bar fell into silence, only Kurogiri's occasional shuffling behind the bar and Shigaraki's card game breaking the quietness. It was a comfortable atmosphere, something he had only ever felt in the presence of his mother. Even if it didn't quite appear like so, he felt much closer to the villains which had taken him under their wings, their mentoring helping him in many ways to improve himself, not just with his quirk, but his character as well.

Izuku believed that this is what friendship felt like, in a way.

It saddened him that his mother would never come to see Izuku be happy with other people than herself.

Every fleeting thought of his mother pierced his heart painfully, the sadness of abandoning her overwhelming. He tried to often forget about her and simply not think at all as to how Inko was doing. But the woman sometimes managed to sneak herself into his thoughts, which left him crippled with depression. She would often accompany him in his nightmares, rendering those nights worse than usual.

But he no longer shed tears about her loss. Izuku hadn't shed tears for a long while now.

A bitter smile crossed his features as he let go of his pen and closed his eyes as to calm himself. He couldn't let Shadow Life take control of him so randomly and abruptly. Instead, he shifted his thoughts to hateful thoughts, to the injustice of this world and to All Might's lies and incompetence at truly rescuing anyone and everyone.

It was easier to manage anger rather than sadness, feeling grateful when he felt the familiar burn in the pit of his stomach, Shadow Life morphing slowly but not approaching to take control.

"Everything alright, Midoriya-kun?" Kurogiri's voice seemed to echo louder than usual.

"Yes, Kurogiri-san," his voice was tired. "I'm fine…"

He wasn't…

* * *

 **A/N:** Izuku's quirk has a name now! Yay! ANd he started a new book series (bc, of course he would lol)

Hope you've enjoyed this chapter and leave a review for me to hear your thoughts 3


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** Boku no Hero Academia does not belong to me, nor will it ever belong to me.

 **Warning:** Rated T, though it might go up.

 **A/N:** Ok, like, this is probably gonna be my longest A/N ever, because I have quite a few things to say.

Another kind and super talented artist drew fanart for A Villainous Twist, specifically of Izuku and Shadow Life from chapter 5. I'm so happy that people are feeling inspired enough by this fic to actually draw scenes out of it! You can search for the AMAZING picture in tumbr under the username hoverkill (the original creator) or go to my blog, eimanas-fanfiction where I reposted the art!

Something else I wanted to share is the reason why I named Izuku's quirk Shadow Life (since someone pointed out that it didn't sound good x3). There is a scientific theory called Shadow Life which suggests that if life has evolved on Earth more than once, microorganisms may exist on Earth which have no evolutionary connection with any other known form of life. The hypothesis speculates that the descendants of any "second genesis" may have survived until today in a shadow biosphere.

I thought it was quite fitting for his quirk as it's, in a way, a life of its own, made out of a different genetic code, it's properties being that of shadows yet still solid in nature, not to mention that there is no source of where it stemmed from.

On other news, FREAKING HELL, CHAPTER 190 WAS INSANE, and that cliffhanger is going to absolutely DESTROY ME and I need the next chapter right now! I would like to ramble about the chapter but I'd rather not spoil anyone who might be anime only (or make this A/N any longer than it already is). Though I'd recommend them to read the manga asap if they want to continue reading A Villainous Twist once it passes the episodes available in the anime.

I would like, however, to make you guys aware of the hate and death threats Horikoshi has been getting for what he is currently doing with the recent arc and if anyone would like to support him, there's been a new tag #PLUSULTRAforHorikoshi to fight off all the insane fans who got their pants in a twist for giving a hated character some character development.

Hmmm... is there anything else... Oh, this is the longest chapter yet, with over 4800 words! I didn't even notice it had gotten this long, not that I'm complaining~

Now that I am finished with this unnecessary long A/N, half of you probably annoyed at its length (I is sorry) please continue with the chapter and I hope you enjoy~

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

For the first time in months, Izuku was finally able to leave the lair of the League of Villains for other purposes other than training. He had been forced to wear his school uniform or borrowed clothes from Shigaraki since the League of Villains hadn't allowed him to go into the city with him reported missing, keeping him locked in the bar or at some godforsaken piece of land.

Neither of the clothes had been very comfortable as the only ones that fit him contained either bad memories of his time when he still dreamt and hoped or the others were simply too big due to Shigaraki's bigger size, getting in his way whenever he tried to move. It was truly high time that he went shopping for a new wardrobe, so he was happy when Shigaraki came to him to inform him about his trip to the city.

"Kurogiri will drop you off at the shopping center, so take whatever you need. He'll be close by." Shigaraki told him in an almost lazy tone.

Izuku smiled at Shigaraki, getting himself ready as quickly as he could before coming to the front of the bar. Kurogiri had already opened his warp gate, waiting for him to enter through it as he transported them in a shadowed corner where no one would witness their arrival. He was wearing his school uniform as it was the only thing that fit him and wouldn't make him stand out too much as well as a baseball cap to hide his hair and partially his features. He already felt like a villain the way they snuck into the shopping mall as if he was about to do something legally wrong.

He wasn't wrong about that.

Izuku hadn't been aware of what this shopping trip would truly pertain, hadn't been aware that he would be stealing instead of buying. When Kurogiri had been just about to leave him to his own devices, he had asked an innocent question. A question which would have been quite normal before he switched sides.

"Kurogiri-san, wait! I don't have any money to buy with."

"Money? What would you need money for?" Kurogiri sounded slightly amused, something he rarely ever heard from the misty man, his tone always kept politely.

Both Izuku and Kurogiri remained in silence, staring in each other's eyes as the gears started turning in Izuku's head. It only clicked in those moments that he wasn't going to buy any clothes… he was going to simply take them without paying.

It would be his first act as a villain.

"N-n-never mind," Izuku quickly turned and ran off to the shopping mall, feeling his anxiety rise by this revelation. No matter how much he had wanted to refuse at those moments, the act of stealing twisting his stomach in awkward ways, he didn't want to appear weak in front of Kurogiri. Like he didn't want to be a villain, even if that was the truth.

Kurogiri had been the one who had spent most of the time in the last months training him, acting as a voice of reason and guidance, a mentor to him as he showed patience with his slow progress on his quirk. He had been the first to engage him in a proper conversation, listening to his rambles and responding kindly to them, not slandering him for his weird obsession with quirks. Shigaraki had even commented what a useful skill that was, Kurogiri promptly agreeing.

Kurogiri was a villain and most likely had committed horrible acts, but Izuku liked Kurogiri and looked up to the man even. He wanted to show him that he wasn't afraid to commit crimes, that he wasn't afraid to show the world that he was a villain now.

This was just the first of many steps he had to take to continue his transformation. There was absolutely nothing to be nervous about becoming a thief. On the contrary, it was a very mild act of villainy. It showed that Shigaraki was taking Izuku's adjustment to criminal society slowly and not rushing him to fight against heroes. After all, the only rule he had laid before joining Shigaraki had been to not kill others, even if Shigaraki had been displeased with it. He had still accepted.

Izuku hadn't refused nor shown any reluctance to fighting or hurting others, so it would have been well in Shigaraki's right to put him on a fighting mission, now that he had a better grasp of Shadow Life.

Thievery should pose absolutely no problem!

And yet, despite all those thoughts, Izuku could already feel Shadow Life acting up, becoming more restless as Izuku's nervousness rose, tempted to break out of the shadows and into the light. He had to calm himself lest he made a scene. Shigaraki had yet to expose the League of Villains to the world and he didn't want to be responsible to expose their name prematurely by getting captured in some way.

Now familiar with finding himself in a flux of emotions, Izuku took a deep breath before letting it out slowly, clearing his mind of unwelcome negative emotions as he took slow steps forward to the mall. Fear and anxiety made Shadow Life defensive, rendering his quirk difficult to control as its mind was set on protecting him, with or without Izuku's approval. Anger was a much easier emotion to get a hold of, making Shadow Life responsive to his wishes much easier.

 _It's just stealing. No innocents will be hurt. The money which the companies will lose won't affect anyone but the heads of the companies. Besides, whatever they lose they deserve. Making all those poor people from third world countries, even at this day and age, create these clothing with minimum wages, forcing them to live in horrid conditions and barely able to afford a meal a day, let alone three times._

He was just taking from people who didn't deserve the profit they made. He wouldn't feel bad about stealing, not from these people. People who had trampled him to the ground for something he had had no control over. It was this society's fault that he was a villain in the first place! As people say, what they sow they reap.

And, honestly, he shouldn't feel nervous either. With Shadow Life as _his quirk_ , it would be easy to sneak whatever clothes he wanted out of the shop and he had Kurogiri watching him closely, he was sure of that. He would get through this quite easily.

It helped that Shadow Life's whispers were feeding him with hateful words. The wrongs this society had done him, how they deserved every act of crime. Petty thievery should hardly matter. He could do _so_ much worse.

Another deep breath and Izuku stepped inside one of the clothing shops. H&J, a silly name for a society which hailed heroes and denounced villains when Harley and Joker were villain comic characters from an era where quirks didn't exist. He ignored the irony of the name, believing that he had every right to steal from this shop for its sheer audacity. He was simply going to treat this like a normal shopping trip, be calm, look through the clothes, and choose whatever he liked to take with him home. The only difference would be the fact that there was no need for him to even glance at the price tags… and that he would be leaving without paying.

Problem was, it was easier said than done.

He couldn't help being a bit jittery as he looked through the clothes on display, his palms getting sweaty. He looked at the T-Shirts, the clothes varying in designs and most of them carrying prints and logos. He wondered what he should get.

His clothes back in his former home had all been casual with various hero related prints, specifically of All Might, and their design had been generally nerdy in style. It was a style which showed his love for the heroics and his personality regarding heroism. Kacchan hadn't been wrong in calling him a nerd. However, he didn't want his wardrobe to even resemble his former one, especially not with the hero print designs. His clothes, at that time, had been chosen with good intentions, to present himself as one of the good guys. He was no longer a good guy…

However, he didn't want to scream to the public that he was a villain either. That would be counterproductive as well as stupid. He didn't think he could ever pull the bad boy style, his face too normal and his freckles giving him a childish look, not to mention it reminded him far too much of Kacchan, so leather jackets and the like weren't an option either.

The only acceptable role models he had were Shigaraki, Kurogiri, and Sensei, two of which used suits to present themselves. Would it be alright if he based his new style on them?

Kurogiri obviously valued his appearance, always ready to appear propper in front of a crowd, be they enemy or friend, and his tone and speech matched his presence. He respected that part of Kurogiri a lot and could see himself doing the same. Just because he was a villain did not mean he had to have bad manners. Sensei seemed to be quite similar in that regard as well. Shigaraki, not so much, however, he did seem to prefer a much more relaxed and comfortable style.

Izuku was never one to be creative, his former hero dream design heavily based on All Might's appearance. Maybe he could do the same as a villain with the people he respected and admired in villain society? He could easily see himself creating a wardrobe containing a mix of those designs.

With his mind made up, Izuku looked through the clothes once more, this time knowing what to take. Many of the T-Shirts carried hero quotes or logos, which rendered them useless for him, but thankfully a few were left bare and simple. He took a few T-Shirts, sweatshirts, and jumpers in dark shades of green, blue, red or black, as well as plain dark jeans or sweatpants. He didn't believe that H&J had any suits or any formal wear for that, so he took his chosen clothing to one of the changing rooms, tried some on just to be sure the sizes were right and called forth the tiny hands of his quirk.

He watched as the clothes were easily swallowed by the shadows, much like his body when Shadow Life forced him under its control to protect him from outside harm. Once all the items were covered in darkness, they were moved to the shadowed corners of the shop, easily blending in, rendering them almost invisible. No one noticed the slight shift in the shadows as Izuku exited the first shop, despite what a nervous mess he was, the movement of Shadow Life slow and calculated as it carried the clothes.

Izuku could hear his heart beating loudly in his ears, could feel the adrenaline rushing through his veins from the crime he had just committed.

His very first crime.

He felt like crying, even though he knew this wasn't an act to feel ashamed of, knew that this was what he had chosen to be so that he could save himself from a useless and depressing life. And even though his depression had yet to leave him, the more time he spent in the League of Villains, the more he gained control of his quirk, the more he felt his life shift for the better.

This was just another hurdle he had to overcome on becoming a villain, not just for his sake, but also Shigaraki's and Kurogiri's, the people who had offered him salvation so heededly.

He was surprised to hear the whispers in his ears stop for a few seconds, something which had never happened since he received his quirk, only to be replaced with something terrifying as his heartbeat rang loudly alongside it.

Shadow Life giggled, much like a naughty child, seemingly pleasured by the act of crime Izuku committed, his first step of hurting hero society, his first step of finally attacking the source of his anger and desperation.

 _Bad, bad Deku…_

Izuku bit his lip, not knowing what to make of this side of his quirk… but he could not deny its words. Izuku bit back the tears threatening to fall, once again taking in deep breaths to calm himself. At least Shadow Life would hold strong with the negative emotions coursing through him. He needed all the hands he could get with all the clothes he was carrying.

Walking along the mall, keeping close to the shadows, he finally found his next target, a shop clearly designed for only formal wear.

He nodded to the employee as a form of greeting, carefully dragging his stolen goods. He started looking through the suits, thinking of Kurogiri's formal attire as well as Sensei's suit from when they had first met. Dress shirt, formal jacket, dress pants and Kurogiri also wore a tie and waistcoat which, he had to admit, he quite liked how it looked on the man. He dearly hoped he could pull off the formal attire just as well as the two men he was initially trying to copy.

"Do you need help, sir?" The sudden voice almost made him jump out of his own skin, shadowed hands already sneaking out to protect Izuku from whatever caused the initial shock. Izuku immediately forced himself to calm down, keeping the hands hidden in the shadows. He would rather not make his quirk public.

"N-no, no, I'm alright. I'm just looking," he forced himself to smile politely, hoping the man would leave him alone. The smile was shaky and so obviously nervous, but the man did not become overly suspicious.

"Of course, sir. If you need any help, I'll be right over there," He eyed Izuku for a few seconds before leaving the boy to his own devices. Izuku simply let out a nervous breath, putting a hand to his chest in hopes that his heart would slow down. He hoped he hadn't caught the employees attention as a potential threat to the shop. His young age should help him in the matter.

Grabbing some pants and jackets of various dark shades, dress shirts in different colors and a waistcoat in the same shades as the pants, all in sizes he believed could fit him, he went into a dressing room and tried them on seeing if they fit or not. Most of the clothes looked quite well on him and those which didn't fit but Izuku liked in design or color, he exchanged for proper sizes. All the clothes he had tried on were left in the dressing room, the ones he liked wrapped in shadows together with the other clothes while the ones he intended to leave behind were left as they were.

Taking a few ties and even bowties which he believed would look well with what he had chosen, he disappeared back into the dressing room preparing everything neatly before repeating the same actions he had in the previous shop.

"Have a good day!" Honestly, Izuku was going to have a heart attack if the employees continued to pay attention to him like so. Usually, he was completely ignored due to his plain appearance, so it was very unwelcome to, for once, be noticed. Though considering kids his age didn't frequent such shops, it probably was less weird that the workers noticed him more than the adults.

He nodded his head awkwardly at the woman behind the counter and stepped outside of the shop, the clothes being dragged through the shadows in a slow manner.

Feeling like he had everything he needed, he made his way back to the spot where Kurogiri had dropped them off, waiting for the man to make his appearance. Only a few seconds after his arrival, Kurogiri came out in a heap of mist, appearing as proper as ever.

"Everything finished?"

"Y-yes," Izuku averted his eyes, feeling ashamed and guilty despite knowing that there was nothing to be ashamed of.

"You did well, Midoriya-kun," Even though Kurogiri had no facial expressions, Izuku was sure that the man was smiling at him, his tone very kind and supportive. It lifted the weight of the crime from Izuku's shoulders, making him feel better, despite how wrong everything he had done was. Having people backing him up, being there for him, made being a villain much easier.

He was happy that Kurogiri and Shigaraki were by his side.

"Kurogiri-san…"

"Yes, Midoriya-kun?"

"Could we… could we walk a little around the city?"

Usually when Izuku felt heavy with seemingly the weight of the world resting on his shoulders, he would go for a walk around the city, clearing his mind of thoughts, and though returning to the bar after committing a crime seemed like a much safer option, he felt himself wanting to wander instead of locked in one place.

It had been such a long time since he had been outside.

Kurogiri remained in silence for a few moments, contemplating his answer before speaking.

"Very well, Midoriya-kun. Though, let me transport your clothes back to the bar,"

Izuku's face brightened at Kurogiri's answer, readily handing the ball of clothes still covered in shadows to the misty man. He watched with fascination as the clothes disappeared in a heap of dark mist, Kurogiri's quirk always entertaining to watch and analyze, no matter how often he saw it at work.

"Let's go."

Izuku nodded with a smile.

They walked out of the mall, Kurogiri staying out of sight as he stalked Izuku, the boy walking in the mids of the crowd, keeping his head low and shadowed by the cap he wore. He let his feet carry him through the city, minding the roads, lest he accidentally walked on streets he used to frequent before he joined the League of Villains.

There was a lot on his mind, a rush of thoughts going through his brain as he wandered. How he had left his mother behind in order to create a better life for himself, even if it was through crime, how he had followed Shigaraki, had been gifted with a quirk so powerful by a generous man who had taken time out of his busy schedule for someone as useless as himself, even if the quirk he had been gifted, though powerful, was emotionally crippling at times, how he had found a mentor and a new role model in Kurogiri, even if he would never reach the admiration he had once had for All Might, and the intellectual conversations over quirks and tactics he had with Shigaraki, how the man listened to him and considered his answers like they were truly worthy.

His course of thoughts was interrupted as cheers of crowds were heard, a female voice ringing loudly above everyone else.

"Give up, villain! I, the Serpentine Hero, Uwabami, will put an end to your filthy crimes!"

A villain attack? Should he… No, this wasn't something he could do anymore.

But old habits do die hard, and Izuku's curiosity argued vehemently with his voice of reason as to why he should watch the fight. Studying the heroes would still be beneficial, even as a villain. Knowing how to defend himself from their attacks and learning of their behavioral ticks could save him one day if he ever came face to face with a hero when he was on the receiving end of their wrath instead of whatever poor villain was facing Uwabami.

Izuku felt his feet carry him to the crime scene, swiftly pushing himself through the crowd to get to the front lines so he could watch the action happening properly, his eyes already analyzing the quirks and movements of the two opponents.

Uwabami was dressed glamorously, a hero he often saw on TV in advertisements and TV dramas even. The villain she was fighting was tall and lanky, his expression that of a terrified man as he fought the serpentine hero, spitting bullet like salivas.

"P-p-please! I have kids to feed!" The villain tried to reason with the hero as he held tightly the stolen bag of jewelry in his arms, trying to run away from the woman. But he was already surrounded by her snakes, the hero gloating at the villain's helplessness.

No one seemed to hear the villains begging, as he continued to protect himself from the poisonous snakes.

"Beat him down, Uwabami-sama!" Someone in the crowd shouted excitedly, the crowd agreeing in happy cheers.

"Filthy villains like yourself should know better than to steal in _my_ territory!"

Uwabami continued her heroic speech, toying with the poor man. He was obviously at a disadvantage and by Izuku's analyzation, this fight should have been over long ago. Yet Uwabami kept on dragging the fight, showing off her skills and relishing in her sure triumph, ignoring the cries of the villain as she slandered him to the ground, making him appear like the scum on earth.

But Izuku heard the man, heard the reasons why he had done what he had done, why he was pushed to acts of crime.

He could feel his anger rise, how the hero used the poor man to glorify herself, how she had no intention of saving anyone and simply looked at rising her fame even further, the crowd eating right out of her hand.

This!

This is what the League of Villain was fighting for. This rotten society which degraded villains to less than human, who ignored their cries for help and looked only at themselves. It was because of people like her, because of heroes like her that Izuku stood at the dark side of the world, as none of them had bothered to save him, to look further than physical harm.

This man was suffering, struggling to keep his family alive and fed, while the government paid these liars and slanderers with the taxes people were forced to pay, taxes he once had been proud and happy to pay as he contributed to the heroes before he saw their true shade.

This man didn't deserve capture. And this hero didn't deserve the fame she would gain out of this fight.

And Izuku would make sure that the outcome of this fight would take quite a different turn.

With his anger at its height, but still manageable as to not activated Shadow Mode: Berserker he let out hundred of shadowed hands from where he stood, changing their direction as to obscure their source with the help of the shadows the buildings and crowd created. Shadow Life appeared seemingly out of nowhere behind Uwabami, hands quickly climbing her body, locking her into place, while effectively shutting her snake hair, cutting communication to the snakes she controlled and had sicked on the man.

Izuku closed his eyes, concentrating his control over his quirk, unaware that his eyes were no longer green, as he commanded his quirk to bid his will. Red eyes opened at various dark corners of the street, looking for any blind spots the villain could escape to, as various other hands fought off the snakes surrounding the confused man. A single hand slithered slowly on the man's body, stopping in front of his ear as a mouth tore open.

"Escape!" The voice came out much like a high pitched whisper, spurring the man to he run away. Confused as he was, the villain did not know what to do as the situation escalated into something unexpected but knew that he had a better chance of seeing his crime through by following whatever this thing was, rather than remain rooted in one place to be taken away by the police.

The mysterious voice whispered commands in the Villain's ear, telling him what turns to take, which road he should go to, where and when to hide if someone was following him.

Eventually, after relentless running, the man stopped in a dark alley, taking in deep breaths as he held on to the stolen bag. It had been a while since the creepy voice had told him what way to go and only then notices that the black stripe on his body was no longer there.

He looked around, seeing if there were any hands following him, but saw that he was completely alone. Not wanting to stay in one place for too long, he continued moving, thankful to whoever had saved him from capture. At least his family could live in better comfort with the jewelry and precious stones he had stolen.

Izuku opened his eyes, no longer able to guide the man away from danger as he had reached his maximum range. He believed, however, that the villain had gotten far enough and should be able to escape the police much easier so long as he didn't attract any attention.

He opened his eyes, their color switching back to green as Shadow Life retreated back to the shadows, red eyes closing.

"Wha… What happened?" A reporter shouted into his microphone, the camera crew, as well as everyone else on the scene, had no idea as to what had taken place. Uwabami stood in the middle of the scene like a fool, her legs giving in as she crashed to the ground, having been unable to do anything against Izuku's attack as she watched the villain escape.

"This fight would have been over long ago if Uwabami hadn't toyed with the villain!" A woman from the crowd yelled through the shocked silence, the people immediately reacting to the statement, easily switching sides. One second shouting cheers and compliments and the next cursing the hero which was supposed to protect them from crime. Uwabami had failed at her job and everyone had witnessed her defeat.

Izuku couldn't help the smirk which graced his lips as he disappeared further into the crowd, listening to their outraged cries, the reporters already commentating on the turn of events. Izuku was no longer angry, feeling rather happy that he had been able to help someone like himself while giving another what they truly deserved for toying with a desperate man's emotions and outright ignoring his beggings.

Waiting a few minutes, Izuku slowly made his way out of the crowd, leaving with others as to not draw attention to himself. Kurogiri did not take long to appear in front of Izuku, warping them both in a heap of mist, transporting them into the bar.

He had not thought when he acted, had simply wanted to help the villain from the unfair treatment he had gotten, so when he appeared in front of Shigaraki, it only dawned at him in those moments that what he had done might have caused the League of Villains a load of troubles.

"Why did you do that, Midoriya-kun?" Kurogiri asked, his tone polite and in no way disappointed as he had expected it to be.

"Done what?" Shigaraki interrupted, standing up from his seat. Not only had they returned late, but apparently Izuku had done something? Izuku did not know how to answer, feeling extremely nervous about the actions he had taken.

"He… he looked like… like he needed help!"

Shigaraki's eyebrows rose in question, already fearing for the worst. He knew that Izuku had a hero complex, and by the sound of it, he had rescued someone? Shigaraki felt his anger rise, ready to murder the boy, already feeling like all the work he was putting on Izuku was going for naught. But, before he could unleash his anger the TV seemingly spiked up in sound, Kurogiri having turned off the mute option so they could listen to the news.

Shigaraki's eyes shifted to the scene, watching with interest what had taken place only half an hour ago. His eyes grew wide, finally understanding what had happened as he recognized Izuku's quirk, helping the villain escape from the scene.

"I-I-I'm sorry, Shigaraki-san, I just felt so angry and…"

Izuku never got to finish his excuse, the white-haired man interrupting with a booming laughter as the news continued on shaming Uwabami's failure at her job and discussing the mysterious appearance of Izuku's quirk, questioning who was behind the villain rescue. They didn't even have a source as to where the quirk had come from as the shadowed hands had seemingly appeared out of every corner of the street.

When Shigaraki had ordered Izuku to go shopping, he had expected Izuku to do some basic stealing as his first act of crime, before getting him used to much more violent acts of villainy. But this… he had never expected this to happen! Rescuing a villain from a hero! Though his act still fed off of the hero complex Izuku possessed, Shigaraki couldn't have expected a better turn of events!

"Izukuuuu," He draped an arm over Izuku's shoulder, a pleased smile blooming on his face.

"You've done amazingly!"

* * *

 **A/N:** Soooooo... I mean, just because Izuku is a villain doesn't mean he no longer has the desire to help people. His demographic just... kind of changed ;D Shigaraki is over the roof about that, lol, best way for Izuku to have his villain debut xD

Next chapter you might get a surprise guest, so look forward to that! Hope you liked the chapter, I had lots of fun writing this as well as Izuku's thought process. As always, cookies for your author if possible, it's what keeps me alive and happy (and firmly to the dark side) :D


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** Boku no Hero Academia does not belong to me, nor will it ever belong to me.

 **Warning:** Rated T, though it might go up.

 **A/N:** It took far longer for me to write this chapter than I anticipated. But it's finally done!

Thanks for all the cookies I've received, they were delicious and made me extremely happy!

I hope you enjoy this~

* * *

 **Chapter 9**

As weeks continued to pass by in the League of Villain's lair, Izuku's control over his quirk only became better as he grew more in tune with the emotions Shadow Life invoked inside of him. He no longer stopped himself from feeling anger, hate or spite and sometimes embraced even sadness as his quirk cradled him in his own mind. Shigaraki's words, as well as Shadow Life's whispers, helped him to come to terms that he no longer needed to feel compassionate and understanding to everything and everyone, that it was alright to grow hateful of those who had wronged him.

All Might was no longer Izuku's idol. As much as it had pained him to let go of the figure he had worshipped since childhood, he no longer respected nor looked up to the Pillar of Peace. However, even though he would love nothing more than to hate the man, much like Shigaraki did, he wasn't able to. At least, not yet. But even if hate had yet to blossom in Izuku's heart, he still felt dislike for All Might for the way he had brushed him off so easily when he so obviously was in need of emotional support. He often discussed in talk shows about how important it was to him that he saved everyone without fault, that his presence should give the population peace, hope, strength, that his saving wasn't just superficial but emotional too.

It was when All Might spoke of those words that Izuku felt loathing spark briefly in his chest, immediately latching onto that hate so that it could fester and infect him, much like Shigaraki and Shadow Life wished it to.

It was a slow process. He couldn't simply turn such unyielding love into hate over one mistake his idol had made with him. The memories of the man's heroics still haunted him in his dreams and in his wake, his admiration for All Might flaring back to life only for the feeling to be crushed swiftly by Shadow Life as he kept him grounded with resentful whispers.

However, it wasn't just All Might Izuku was learning to despise. A certain blond would often cross his mind as well, his red eyes glaring at him hatefully as his palms sparked with explosions, threatening to hurt him over superficial things.

The last conversation he had had with Kacchan lingered at the forefront of his mind, how easily he had told him to simply kill himself, mercilessly and thoughtlessly of the consequences those words may bring. He wondered what would have happened if he had truly decided to commit suicide instead of choosing the path Shigaraki had made possible for him. What would have his last note entailed? Would he have stated that it was Kacchan which had pushed him to the edge? No. Knowing himself, he wouldn't have mentioned Katsuki at all as to not ruin his hero career. He had been selfless like that.

But not anymore.

He had admired Katsuki's will and determination to become a hero, the hard work he no doubts put into his body and quirk so that he could be the best. And he still respected that aspect of his ex-friend. But he no longer excused his behavior and foul personality just because he was determined to become a hero. He no longer saw Katsuki as the bright beacon of light which had once motivated him to strive further, just like the blond boy tried to do each passing day.

The years of bullying, the beatings, and cruel words Katsuki had told him again and again since he turned out to be quirkless were no longer pushed to the back of his mind. Instead, they were a prime reminder as to why exactly he should and would come to resent Bakugou Katsuki. He was undeserving to be a hero and Izuku would see to it that Kacchan's path of heroics would be full of struggles and hardships. Hopefully, at some point, that path would crumble to ruins by the work of his hands, much like Uwabami's popularity was sinking to the depths since his involvement weeks prior.

"Umbra: The Sinister Savior," Shigaraki read out loud as he scrolled through the article from his smartphone. "That's what they're calling you now, Izuku-kun." He gently scratched his neck as he thought of the title his newest recruit had obtained by the media. Shigaraki hadn't expected for Izuku to become public so soon after he joined the League of Villain, hadn't wanted to make him public at all. But it happened nonetheless.

After Izuku's shopping trip and unexpected involvement in the hero-villain fight, the dark-haired boy had saved three other villains from getting captured whenever he happened to stumble upon the scene. It's not like Izuku sought out to save villains and if he was aware of a fight taking place but was too far from his location he did not change his course just so he could go save a villain from their own stupid actions, yet… it still bothered Shigaraki to some degree.

He wasn't against Izuku making a name for himself as a villain and knew that the outing of the League was not threatened since they had yet to make their group public. Of course, there was the option that Izuku could get captured but knew the chances were close to none as the boy had gotten extremely skillful with his quirk for the short amount of time, his attention to detail and logical conclusion helping him immensely in his mastery. He also had Kurogiri on speed dial at the off chance that something went wrong, the misted man no longer accompanying Izuku in his trips to the city. However, despite all the progress in turning Izuku into a proper villain, he was unsure how to feel about the fact that Izuku was _saving_ people, even if those people were villains.

It was an act far too similar to that of a hero. And yet, he could not deny the dent Izuku was slowly causing to hero society simply by denying heroes the capture of villains as well as shaming them in the eyes of the public.

"Umbra? As in the innermost and darkest part of a shadow?" Izuku's eyes were wide in wonder, certainly not having expected to be recognized by the media. He thought of asking Shigaraki if the media wasn't talking about another villain with a similar disposition as himself but soon realized that they were certainly talking about him and no other.

The Sinister Savior…. Sinister was an interesting word, as it contained multiple meanings, the most well-known being evil and harmful. It was meant to represent the villains in society, the ones he had saved, and maybe that's all it was meant to represent. But sinister could very well be a pun to his quirk as well. The original meaning of the word, before it took the meaning which is represented nowadays, was left-handed.

 _To take the left-hand path._

To take a route benefitting yourself rather than society. He could not deny that the villain name the media had given him fit him to T. Maybe he was overthinking things… But, there was one question which bothered him quite a bit. Why would society show interest in him now? Was the rescue of four measly and rather harmless villains truly noteworthy for him to already gain recognition?

Shigaraki listened as Izuku mumbled his thoughts away, his words straying from one subject to the other at incredible speeds. It was hard to distinguish any of the words the boy was murmuring, his tone soft, barely above a whisper. In the end, Shigaraki decided to answer the boy's most coherent question, if only to stop the boy's train of thought and give him something concrete to latch on.

"It appears that this time you've rescued quite the infamous villain, Izuku-kun. She's been wanted by the police for quite a while now but has escaped capture multiple times. It was the first time she made a mistake in one of her heists. This was their chance to properly capture her once and for all, but you, of course, ruined that chance."

Shigaraki disliked Izuku's heroic-like actions, the way he readily stepped in to save some nobody villain out of compassion. It reminded him of what Izuku was like at the beginning when he joined the League of Villains. Hesitant and so full of morals but far too desperate to turn them down. However, the news he kept receiving of Izuku's results were far too pleasing. How the heroes failed to do their job, how the public shunned them for their failure and the fear it ingrained in them for another villain to be let loose.

He had wished to crush Izuku's desire for any heroic actions but was slowly realizing that that task was near, if not, impossible. It was ingrained far too deeply into the dark-haired boy. He would have to be satisfied with the way Izuku was developing now and reap the benefits of his actions. The important part was that Izuku's morals were decreasing with each day he spent in his clutches so that when the day came to reintroduce Izuku to All Might, the hero would realize what monster he had created with his own two hands. In that regard, it helped that Izuku was already becoming so infamous.

"The villain calls herself Phantom Lady, an international thief whose quirk is still unknown to the public. Her last loot was called Pandora, a diamond rumored to shine red if held under the moonlight. It's supposed to cry tears of immortality. Of course, the last part is simply a myth." Kurogiri further explained, handing Izuku a nonalcoholic drink. The misty villain was surprisingly strict about underage drinking and had forbidden Izuku from drinking any alcoholic beverages until he reached the age of sixteen.

"Oh, I didn't know," Izuku gingerly took the offered drink, sipping shyly as his cheeks became tinted with embarrassment. He had not intended letting such a high-profile criminal escape. He usually was careful to only intervene with villains which looked harmless, nothing above petty thievery. Even so, he couldn't help but feet slightly proud of himself for having aided in the escape of the phantom thief.

However, despite the fame he gained from the media (or in this case infamy), could he continue to proceed as he had done till now? He had been careful not to be discovered, careful that his quirk did not give away his position. He was always discreet in his own escape and no one had ever gotten a whiff of who might be responsible for the villains' escapes.

But now that people were becoming aware of his existence, now that he had a name people could focus on, could he still continue to carry out his desire to save without risking capture? He didn't want to become a burden to the League of Villain and endanger their exposure nor their cause. He owed Shigaraki, Kurogiri and especially Sensei far too much to simply throw caution to the wind just so he could do something that pleased him.

"Should I stop helping villains escape, Shigaraki-san?" He voiced his thoughts aloud, looking nervously at the leader of the League. Shigaraki, in turn, simply looked at Izuku with a blank expression, the severed hand he usually kept to hide his face absent for once.

Izuku was giving Shigaraki an opportunity to crush that heroic flame by asking him to willingly give it up. It was an opportunity he should have easily grasped to sate his dislike for anything heroic in Izuku's bones. But Shigaraki was an intelligent person. He saw the benefits of the boy's actions, saw how easily society could be shaken up by denying them the capture of notorious villains. Shigaraki was aware that he often let his emotions rule his decisions, all his actions taken in regards of the sheer hatred he harbored for hero society, but at that moment… His mind was clear and logical, devoid of any intense emotions.

He had already come to terms with the fact that it would be impossible for him to truly stop Izuku from his desire to save. It was best that the boy directed that desire to something that would benefit the League of Villains, have him happy and satisfied, instead of keeping him caged and miserable doing only things he loathed. It would only push the boy away from that, and that would only be counterproductive to the bigger picture Shigaraki had in mind.

For now, Izuku was simply saving petty criminals whom even the police could possibly deal with, but with his guidance, those criminals would slowly but surely mutate into vicious villains who've stained their hands with the blood of countless innocents.

"Do you want to stop, Izuku-kun?"

It was moments like these that Izuku forgot any regret he had over joining Shigaraki's League of Villains. The choice the man gave him, the freedom he found in their grasp despite being something which didn't own the right of freedom in the eye of the law, it was these things which made Izuku eternally grateful that Shigaraki had found him that fateful day on the abandoned beach. He felt like a human whose opinions and dreams mattered, unlike when he had been but a normal schoolboy, bullied for the lack of his quirk.

A kind smile blossomed on Izuku's lips, eyes growing soft as he looked at his leader.

"I would like to continue, Shigaraki-san," he answered brightly, an occurrence which he found to rarely ever do in the last few years.

Shigaraki in turn simply nodded as he continued to set the chess pieces on the board. The room remained in silence, only the clicking of the stones hitting the wooden surface of the board breaking the quietness. Unexpectedly, as Shigaraki finished positioning the pieces, he shoved the board in the middle of the table between himself and Izuku.

"Want to play a game?"

Izuku looked at the board, once again shocked by Shigaraki's kind gestures.

"I don't know how to though…"

Shigaraki smiled.

"I'll guide you through."

 **A Villainous Twist**

The street lights were illuminating the roads as the sun sunk lower to the horizon, swallowed by the countless buildings and skyscrapers the city possessed. It wasn't often that Izuku took a walk so late at night, preferring the daylight instead. However, his depression had been acting up again, memories of his crying mother flooding his mind, the pain he was no doubt causing her leaving breathless, his heart aching. As much as he had hated his former life, his mother had been the only thing he could truly say that he loved unconditionally, despite her lack of faith in his dream.

But in the end, that love hadn't been strong enough. He had chosen his own selfish desires over being together with his mother. He regretted… leaving her like that. But his decision had already been made. There was no turning back from this life.

He didn't know if he even wanted to go back.

The fresh air helped in clearing his mind, quieting Shadow Life's whispers ever so slightly. He hadn't expected to run across a Hero vs Villain fight so late in the evening, though it was a welcome distraction. He approached the scene, the crowd far less dense than it would usually be during the day and took out his notebook before immediately starting to study the fight.

The Hero fighting was relatively unknown to Izuku, most likely new in the business. Both opponents seemed to possess quirks which physically enhanced their strength in some form or another, putting them at a stalemate as they fought mercilessly against each other. I was clear in Izuku's eyes that this fight could go on for ages without any clear result, their strength equal in every aspect. They would need another hero to step in for the fight to progress at all.

Most likely a hero from some nearby agency was already making their way to the scene, no doubt.

"You won't escape from this, Villain!" The hero yelled as he threw a punch to the Villain's face, sending him flying to a nearby vacated building. The Villain slowly rose from the rubbles, the Hero fast approaching in an attempt to knock the villain down once more but was too late as the criminal escaped the hero's punch swiftly.

He started laughing breathily, wiping the blood dripping from his lip as he took on a defensive stance. "That's what other heroes have been saying until Umbra proved them wrong!" He spat at the hero, blocking the incoming blows.

Izuku's eyes went wide at the conversation, his scribbles stopping mid page as the conversation between Hero and Villain continued.

"You believe that a scum like Umbra will come a save your ass? You think you have that much luck that he'll appear to your aid?"

The Villain let out a battle cry as he charged the Hero, enraged by the Hero's provocative words.

"I won't need him to beat you unconscious and escape!"

"But you will need him if you want to beat the both of us." A female voice interrupted. Mt. Lady had appeared on the scene.

Izuku was torn, not knowing what to do in a situation like this. He didn't know what the villain's crimes were, he didn't appear like just another thief. He didn't want to aid a killer in his escape, but the mention of his villain name was urging him to act upon those words. With Mt. Lady in the game, the villain had absolutely no chance to survive this fight. It would be over for the Villain if Izuku didn't do anything soon.

"Tch, I hate it when villains believe they have any right of salvation. They are a menace to society and think that they deserve that scum of a miracle to save them from their crimes," the man which spoke was carrying a beer bottle, swiftly taking another swing off the beverage, his cheeks reddened from obvious drunkenness. Those words really shouldn't have affected Izuku as much as they did, especially since they came from an intoxicated, illogical man.

And yet, it was enough for Izuku's anger to roar into life and spur him into action.

Rudy red eyes replaced emerald green ones, shadowed hands multiplying at his feet as he sent them to the three targets which held everyone's attention. Izuku didn't notice, however, the second pair of eyes which witnessed the change in color of his irises, before their attention was drawn, once more, back to the scene unfolding in the front.

With the city shrouded in darkness, the approaching shadow hands were invisible to the bare eye as they blended perfectly with the background. First targeting Mt. Lady before she switched to her giant form, several hands locked onto her form, caging her and rendering her useless. Izuku would have to hold tightly onto her. Her giant form would cause far too many problems and would make the Villain's escape harder than it should be.

"Wh…What?" Realization hit Mt. Lady as she caught the faint shape of a dark creepy little hand approaching the Hero which had been engaged in a stalemate battle with the Villain, ready to strike and immobilize him. She tried to shift to her titan form in hopes that it would rip the snake-like hands apart but found herself locked far too tightly, forcing her to remain in her current size lest she hurt herself.

"Behind you, it's Umbra!" Mt. Lady tried to warn him but to no avail. The hands were already crawling up the Hero's body, surrounding him in a similar manner as herself.

This was bad. This was really bad. This was the fifth villain Umbra would be aiding in their escape, they couldn't afford to continue losing like so to the damned villain whose corporal form they had yet to even see! Mt. Lady's eyes scanned her surroundings, watching the crowd of spectators for anyone suspicious, but saw no one which could be responsible for controlling the numerous hands which were already aiding the Villain's escape.

The Villain in turn simply laughed as he saw a dark hand climb his body, much like it had done with the previous villains it had aided, not hesitating to listen to the instructions whispered into his ears.

"Umbra is everywhere!" The villain shouted in glee at the two Villains, his laughter echoing in the dark as he ran away from the scene.

"Are you alright?" A lazy word interrupted Izuku's concertation as his eyes shifted from the battle scene to the strange boy sporting ridiculous purple hair. The question made Izuku nervous, the boy's eyes looking almost like they saw right through him.

"Y-yes…" He answered reluctantly… and noticed what a mistake that had been. In an instant, Izuku felt all his free will leave his body, his mind seemingly awaiting orders to take. He couldn't lift a finger, nor command his quirk in any way possible, the orders he had been whispering from his mind to the Villain he was aiding stopping midtrack.

Izuku was pushed in the dark mindscape he usually frequented when Shadow Life took over, only this time, he was able to see what was going on in the outside world. The dark-haired boy had absolutely no idea what was going on but was aware that his control over Shadow Life was slipping every millisecond he spent under the influence of whatever force had possessed him.

The hands holding off Mt. Lady and the unnamed Hero tightened their grasp, in a desperate feat to hold on to their master's last command before slowly, reluctantly, slipping off the heroes' bodies. Shadow Life became aware of their master's growing distress, aware that their creator was in some form of danger. It was ready to launch at whatever was causing this emotional uproar in Izuku, only to stop right where it was.

"Ah, sorry. I still haven't learned to control my quirk completely yet."

Izuku felt control return to his limbs, Shadow Life once more back under Izuku's influence. However, the light slip hadn't gone unnoticed by Mt. Lady, immediately taking the opportunity to use her quirk and grow several sizes, towering over the buildings.

Frantically, she turned her head, watching left, right, back and forwards where the villain could have escaped.

Izuku was at a loss of what to do, knowing that in that form he couldn't seize Mt. Lady again, the effort would be far too great. It would require for Izuku to be more than simply angry. He couldn't afford to activate the Berserker mode, it would immediately expose him. But he couldn't let the Villain get captured either, he had a reputation to uphold now. Not to mention, once Izuku was set on saving somebody, he would pull it through one way or another.

Thankfully, the attention of the boy had returned to Mt. Lady's the second the heroine had transformed, giving Izuku some time to transmit commands to the Villain and hopefully render him invisible to Mt. Lady's eyes by wrapping every inch of his body with shadowed hands, making it possible for the villain to blend in better with the background.

Minutes passed as Izuku held his breath, watching as Mt. Lady desperately tried to locate the Villain but to no avail. She headed to a random location, hoping that she would stumble upon the criminal but Izuku recognizes it as the wrong way, thankful that his plan had worked.

Reassured that the Villain would escape, he returned his attention to the boy whose eyes were fixated on the scene. Not wanting to appear suspicious by simply ignoring him, he did the only thing he could think of doing at that moment.

"What did you do to me just then?"

* * *

 **A/N:** I am SURE no one can guess WHO Izuku happened to meet *wiggle's brows*

Honestly, one of the reviews I've recieved basically predicted this chapter's surprise meeting spot on... I was so shocked lol, and was honesly sweating a little ^^' I'm not THAT predictable, am I...

*cough*

Anyway! If you've enjoyed this chapter, please leave me some cookies! I do so enjoy munching on them *nom nom nom*

Edit: Ahhh, I was so rushed to post the new chapter and bc of that ending that I totes forgot... Deku hot his villain name by the media! Took me fucking ages to come up with a good one. Reddit helped me especially on that quest.

Originally I wanted for Izuku's villain name to be simply Deku: The Villain Savior. But then my fingers started writing and things made much more sense that the media would be more likely to give Deku a villain name rather than wait till USJ for him to introduce himself... So yeah... Umbra :3

Would you like for Deku to keep his current villain name or would you rather he keeps Deku as a villain name?


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